NCJ Number
156153
Journal
Compiler Dated: (Winter/Spring 1995) Pages: 13-15
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
In 1993, the Cook County, Illinois, Sheriff's Department opened a pre-release center, a minimum-security residence providing treatment to drug-dependent pretrial inmates.
Abstract
In addition to its treatment and drug prevention goals, the center alleviates overcrowding in the men's division of the county jail. Any male Department of Corrections inmate with a substance addiction held on a cash bond of less than $150,000 can volunteer to participate. The center acts on behavior modification principles; participants are self-sufficient in terms of doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning, while staff members fill a supervisory role. Staff members also enforce the program's strict timetable to create a sense of discipline for timeliness and punctuality. This includes meeting times for group and individual counseling, free activity time, assigned work details, inspections, and meals. Residents who prove themselves to be responsible may be given authority positions on their floor. The program's addiction services, provided by members of the Gateway Foundation, aim to develop inmates' respect for themselves and others; upon discharge, participants are referred to other treatment and counseling programs.