NCJ Number
132386
Journal
American Jails Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: (September/October 1990) Pages: 22-27
Date Published
1990
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The Addictive Disease Treatment Program (ADTP) of the Philadelphia prisons is described and evaluated.
Abstract
Current services at the ADTP unit are achieved through moderate or intensive treatment modalities, dependent on a client's needs and motivation. Although the two approaches function within different structures, the philosophy of treating addiction is the same. It addresses the underlying behaviors and attitudes associated with a dysfunctional lifestyle. Treatment forces the participants to assess their values and priorities and encourages restructuring of their lives through behavior change, therapy, and recovery work. In the moderate treatment, inmates are seen weekly for group therapy and at least monthly for individual counseling. In both forms of treatment, they attend institutional Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous. The intensive treatment unit is composed of an 80-bed unit called Phase I and a 58-bed unit called the Step Therapeutic Community. In the former, the clients participate in a comprehensive curriculum, whereas in the latter the client experiences a group therapy and 12-step meeting daily. The program can be effective within a 6- to 25- month period. Although the effectiveness of a therapeutic community cannot be evaluated on a large scale, its values lies in servicing a containable population in which the personal contact with the therapist and staff as well as the relations with positive peers enables healing.