NCJ Number
137156
Journal
Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics and Public Policy Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: special issue (1991) Pages: 639-649
Date Published
1991
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This description of the Substance Abuse Intervention Program (SAIP) in the New York City Department of Correction focuses on how drug treatment for addicted offenders can be integrated in a jail setting.
Abstract
Increases in drug-related crime coupled with enhanced law enforcement have significantly elevated the proportion of arrestees in New York City who have drug problems. Most arrestees have not received drug treatment. In an effort to provide such treatment, the New York City Department of Correction began the SAIP in 1989. A 50-bed, drug-free treatment program for adult male pretrial detainees was opened in a jail on Rikers Island. The program was operated as a therapeutic community and provided treatment for over 350 inmates annually. Later in 1989 the Department expanded the SAIP program by opening over 450 additional drug-free beds for addicted inmates. The program converted a 384-bed barge in the East River into a drug treatment jail. It added an extensive screening process that enhanced jail admission procedures, so as to identify inmates with drug addiction and house them in the jails that offer drug-free services. Acupuncture services alleviate inmates' withdrawal symptoms. A centralized staff works with community-based treatment programs, attorneys, and courts to provide placement in treatment programs for inmates upon their discharge. A reduction in security staff in facilities that house the treatment program have produced a net savings of over $900,000 annually. This article provides recommendations that focus on the expansion of community-based treatment, increased access to appropriate treatment, provision of treatment for women and juveniles, and increased training opportunities for those who want to pursue careers in substance abuse treatment. 10 footnotes