Substance Abuse Treatment for Women Offenders: Guide to Promising Practices

• NCJ Number: 219557
• Author(s): Patricia A. Kassebaum
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 184 pages
• Contract Number(s): 270-94-0002
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Corporate Author: Johnson, Bassin, and Shaw, (JBS) Inc
• Sale Source: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Technical Assistance Publication (TAP) Series 23

Annotation

This report acts as a guide providing professionals working with women offenders with knowledge from nine select women’s programs for substance abuse problems.

Abstract

Some of the most promising practices in helping addicted women in the criminal justice system include: (1) building a treatment approach that is rooted in an understanding about how women grow and develop and how these factors affect addiction; (2) using sanctions in creative and reasonable ways that will reinforce treatment goals and engage women in treatment; (3) assessing each woman’s needs in a comprehensive, yet flexible manner; (4) providing continuity of care, from the presentencing through in-custody treatment to continuing treatment and support following release; and (5) ensuring that women receive the housing and other services that they need during the early post-release period and avoid relapse and recidivism. Intended, not to be a complete guide or handbook for setting up new programs, this report is intended to offer women-specific concepts and strategies, a planning framework, for those in the corrections and treatment fields who want to design comprehensive services for women offenders. In an effort to develop and assess programming for women offenders, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) is funding a series of treatment programs for women in prisons and jails. Evaluation results from these projects are just beginning to emerge, with much already learned. This report shares the knowledge being gained from nine selected women’s programs, four in State prisons and five in jails or detention centers. All are serving women who have severe substance abuse problems. The programs include long- and mid-term residential therapeutic communities. The report is intended for professionals from a wide range of disciplines working with women involved in some aspect of the criminal justice system. The report is divided into four parts: setting the stage for treatment, designing treatment programs, stages of treatment planning--the action steps, and program summaries. References, resource list, and appendix