NCJ Number
132385
Journal
American Jails Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: (September/October 1990) Pages: 17-21
Date Published
1990
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The Teamwork program was implemented at a residential treatment unit in the Cook County Jail in Chicago in 1989 to meet the special needs of inmates dually diagnosed with mental disorders and substance abuse.
Abstract
The program started with 30 inmates at various stages of mental/addiction recovery. At the initiation, the inmates began to practice minimal hygiene and developed a constitution comprised of both negative and positive laws. During the day, the schedule included Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, drug education, AIDS education, group sessions, and individual counseling. Groups were designed by levels: Level one included the smarter men; level two, men who just entered jail or were in detoxification; and level three, the developmentally disabled. Through suicide groups, grief groups, and self development groups, the inmates were able to address many psychological issues stemming from their childhood years. Additional program components included meetings held three times a week to work out major conflicts, dorm teams organized for chess tournaments and other competitions, and a big brother system developed for newcomers. The most noticeable outcome was the reduction or discontinuance of inmates' psychotropic medication use. The men learned new skills to control their behavior; improved their appearance; influenced others to care; and became responsible, goal oriented, and self confident.