NCJ Number
187344
Date Published
1999
Length
0 pages
Annotation
The focus of this video is a Catholic priest who has spent over 35 years working with men and women who want to stay out of prison and free themselves from addiction through rehabilitation instead of incarceration.
Abstract
The priest contends that, despite the millions spent on building and maintaining prisons, they do not work and that recovery and rehabilitation are more effective. He refuses to accept the notion that any life deserves to be thrown away, and he has had a great deal of success with addiction recovery programs, counseling sessions, transitional housing, shelters for mothers and children, and community-run businesses. The priest works out of the Albany, New York, area where he has helped thousands of addicted persons reclaim their lives and their futures by the "glidepath" philosophy. He believes that ex-convicts need help making a successful transition to the community, just as a pilot often needs visual help touching down on an aircraft carrier swaying in a rocky sea. The glidepath approach of the priest includes three components--recovery, housing, and jobs. Together, these three components offer addicted men and women a chance to become healthy, employed, tax-paying citizens with careers, families, friendships, and futures. The videotape describes the glidepath approach of the priest and his experiences with individuals in the recovery community.