Beyond the 80s: The Emergence of a Model Substance Abuse Treatment Program Within the Correctional Setting

• NCJ Number: 129119
• Journal: American Jails Volume: 4 Issue: 5 Dated: (January/February 1991) Pages: 114-120
• Author(s): C R Messmer; H A Brown
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program Description (Model)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The Washington County Jail Substance Abuse Program (JSAP) in Maryland is described together with a brief explanation of its uniqueness.

Abstract

The program is distinguished by the level of cooperation and support among the criminal justice, health care delivery, and correctional systems; the judges, attorneys, and the sheriff share a commitment to helping the defendant fight drug addiction. There are three major components to the JSAP: referral, treatment, and aftercare. Admissions to the 6-week program is through a court-ordered assessment, substance abuse assessment during incarceration, or through a specific request from the inmate. Once in the program, the inmates participate in group and individual counseling using the Chronic Disease Model, didactic substance abuse education, AIDS education, nutritional information, and in-house AA and NA meetings. Preliminary findings suggest that inmates who participate in substance abuse programs in corrections are more likely to have fewer subsequent incarcerations for the same type of offenses than inmates not participating in the programs.