NCJ Number
152162
Date Published
1988
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This document reviews the history, describes the components, and reports the outcomes of the Amity/Pima County Jail Project (Tucson, Ariz.), which provides drug treatment for jail inmates.
Abstract
The program, which received Federal funding for its development in 1987, is conducted in its own special-purpose pod in the medium-security addition of the Pima County Jail. At the time of this report, the program's enrollment capacity is 36 inmates. Program coordination is shared by two staff persons, one with a background in corrections and the other with a background in substance abuse treatment. In selecting program participants, preference is given to inmates who express strong interest in overcoming their drug dependence. Inmates who are serving less than 45 days and those sentenced for more serious offenses in addition to drug-related offenses are excluded from the program. The program provides education and counseling designed to assist participants in identifying the causes of their alienation from society, family, self, and friends through substance abuse and criminal behavior. It also instructs inmates in techniques and methods of reorientation and socialization both within the institutional setting and in society upon release. Family members are included in the treatment program so they can help in socialization and reorientation after release. Evaluation results show that fewer than 5 percent of the program participants were rearrested after their release, according to a 1-year followup. Almost 70 percent of the program participants continued treatment after their release. Suggestions for replicating this project in other jails are offered.