NCJ Number
146527
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 55 Issue: 7 Dated: (December 1993) Pages: 78,80,82
Date Published
1993
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A high proportion of offenders require drug treatment; the most effective inmate drug treatment programs teach four basic skills: self-motivation, initiating abstinence, maintaining abstinence, and personal growth.
Abstract
Two drug treatment programs that teach the four basic skills are the programs run by Interventions, Inc. in Dallas and the Gateway Foundation in Illinois. Because their behavior is driven by underlying personality and drug abuse disorders, punishment alone will not stop offenders from using drugs or from committing new crimes. Treatment aims to address these disorders through a combination of cognitive, affective, behavioral, and social restructuring. Successful long-term treatment has seven components: a structured recovery program, individual therapy, recovery education, group therapy, self-help group, family therapy, and holistic health care. To succeed, this continuum of care requires a commitment from all levels to involve offenders for 3 to 5 years. Such a commitment would represent an evolution in the criminal justice system to recognize the necessity of long- term programs that integrate legal consequences with the use of mandated treatment. 11 references