NCJ Number
79696
Journal
Contemporary Drug Problems Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1980) Pages: 273-281
Date Published
1980
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article describes GENESIS, a federally funded therapeutic community for incarcerated female drug offenders. Emphasis is placed on the program's unique characteristics.
Abstract
GENESIS is based in the belief that female drug-taking patterns and problems of female addicts are closely related to their social oppression as women. GENESIS recognizes that the participant must be counseled to increase her sense of self-worth, and she is also trained to be an agent of social change in her community. The treatment stage of the therapeutic program consists of three phases. The first phase is an 8-week orientation during which the participants are introduced to the rules and concepts of the program. At the end of this period, the program staff assesses the motivation and consistency of each participant. If motivation and consistency are deemed satisfactory, a participant enters the second phase of treatment. In this phase, the participant is placed in a learning group, which will focus on providing information on such diverse topics as religion, politics, community resources, family planning, and leisure time activities. At the conclusion of this phase, program staff determines whether the participant has gained sufficient insight into her motivations to be placed in the program's third phase, which involves participation in a consciousness-raising group to help a participant develop a sense of group identity. Later, she is placed in an intensive counseling group where she explores her attitudes, responses, and feelings in relationship to her peers. Following completion of the three phases, the participant enters the preentry stage, which is designed to integrate participants into the forms of general society. The reentry stage is the final stage and consists of two steps: (1) an intermediate community adjustment experience while still incarcerated but within 6 months of release and (2) a complete community reintegration experience upon release.