NCJ Number
187313
Date Published
1999
Length
183 pages
Annotation
This report presents the knowledge being gained from nine selected women's substance abuse programs, four in State prisons and five in jails or detention centers.
Abstract
The programs serve women who have severe substance abuse problems, often of long duration. These programs include long-term and mid-term residential therapeutic communities (TCs), a prison 4-hours-per-day treatment program, and two intensive short-term (2-week) programs that focus on motivating both sentenced and presentenced women into treatment. Sections of the report focus on setting the stage for treatment, designing treatment programs, action steps in stages of treatment planning, and summaries of programs. One of the most promising practices is the building of a treatment approach that is rooted in an understanding about how women mature and develop, as well as how these social and developmental factors affect addiction. Another promising practice is the use of sanctions in creative and reasonable ways that will reinforce treatment goals and engage women in treatment for the necessary length of time. It has also proven effective to assess each woman's needs in a comprehensive, yet flexible, manner so that needs are matched to the intensity and length of care required. The report further recommends providing continuity of care from the presentencing period through in-custody treatment to continuing treatment and support during the months following release, so that women have an opportunity to develop the skills and resources to survive and contribute to their communities. Ensuring that women receive the housing and other services they need in the early postrelease period can help women avoid both relapse and recidivism. 15 tables, 192 references, and a resource list