Title: Programs in Correctional Settings: Innovative State and Local Programs.
Series: BJA Monograph
Author: Justice Research and Statistics Association
Published: June 1998
Subject: Inmate Programs
123 pages
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U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Assistance

Programs in Correctional Settings: Innovative State and Local Programs

U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531

Janet Reno
Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice

Raymond C. Fisher
Associate Attorney General

Laurie Robinson
Assistant Attorney General

Nancy E. Gist
Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance

U.S. Department of Justice Response Center
1-800-421-6770

Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse
1-800-688-4252

Bureau of Justice Assistance
World Wide Web Home Page
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA

This document was prepared by the Justice Research and Statistics
Association, under cooperative agreement 95-DD-BX-K011, awarded by
the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S.
Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or
recommendations expressed in this document are those of the authors and
do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the
U.S. Department of Justice.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice
Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the
National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime.

-------------------------------

Programs in Correctional Settings: Innovative State and Local Programs

June 1998

Monograph

NCJ170088

-------------------------------

Acknowledgments

This report is a product of a cooperative effort by the States and the
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) as part of the State Evaluation
Development Program, which is coordinated by the Justice Research and
Statistics Association (JRSA).

The National Institute of Corrections and the Colorado Department of
Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice, contributed to the coordination
and implementation of this workshop. A special thanks goes to Ida Halasz,
Acting Chief, National Institute of Corrections; William Woodward,
Director, Division of Criminal Justice, Colorado Department of Public
Safety; John Inmann, Program Administrator, Division of Criminal
Justice, Colorado Department of Public Safety; Henry Solano, U.S.
Attorney, District of Colorado; and George Epp, Sheriff, Boulder County,
for delivering welcoming addresses. Special acknowledgment is also due
to the outstanding moderators of the working meeting: Ken Robinson,
President, Correctional Counseling, Inc., and Nancy Shomaker, Manager,
Technical Assistance, National Institute of Corrections.

The State Evaluation Development Program relies on the expertise of the
States to ensure the success of workshops and publications. The following
individuals contributed their knowledge and time to make the workshop
and publication a success: Kathi Atkins, Planning and Grants Manager,
Division of Criminal Justice, Colorado Department of Public Safety; Jim
Barbee, Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute of Corrections;
Ruth Cardella, Researcher, New Directions for Families; David
Dillingham, Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute of
Corrections; Gail Keil, Montana Board of Crime Control; Pat Scholes,
Corrections Specialist, National Institute of Corrections; Andrew Tarsy,
Consultant; and Beverlee Venell, Grant Coordinator, Criminal Justice
Division, Oregon State Police.

The Justice Research and Statistics Association prepared this document
under the direction of Joan C. Weiss, Executive Director. The following
JRSA staff compiled and edited the information in this report under the
supervision of Deputy Director Kellie J. Dressler: Tara L. O'Connor,
Program Assistant; Marylinda Stawasz, Program Assistant; Andrea G.
Richards, Program Associate; Terrylynn Coffin, Program Assistant; and
Jason R. Lunsford, Intern. 

-------------------------------

Contents

Introduction

State and Local Programs in Correctional Settings

Alabama: Jail Assistance Project

Colorado: Integration of Polygraph Testing With Sex Offenders Program

Colorado: Juvenile Offender Substance Abuse Treatment Project

Colorado: Department of Corrections Youth Offender System

Delaware: Mentor Program, Inc.

Idaho: Ada County Jail Substance Abuse Program
Illinois: Department of Corrections Sex Offender Treatment Program

Iowa: Centralized Substance Abuse Assessment Project--Iowa Medical
and Classification Center

Iowa: Statewide Substance Abuse Program Coordination in Corrections

Kansas: Chemical Dependency Correctional Counseling Program

Kentucky: Integrated Programming for Female Offenders

Massachusetts: Stress Reduction and Awareness Training in Corrections
and the Criminal Justice System

New York: Taconic Correctional Facility Nursery Program

Ohio: Oriana House, Inc., Residential Treatment Services Program

Oklahoma: Department of Corrections Enid Community Learning and
Family Center

Oregon: Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Program

Pennsylvania: OPTIONS Women's Therapeutic Center

Rhode Island: Discovery Substance Abuse Treatment Program

South Dakota: Corrections Substance Abuse Program

Wisconsin: Rock County Education and Criminal Addictions Program

Wyoming: Department of Corrections Honor Farm Wild Horse Training
Program

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Introduction

This monograph reports the results of the Bureau of Justice Assistance
(BJA) State Evaluation Development Program working meeting, Programs
in Correctional Settings: Innovative State and Local Programs, held
November 2-4, 1995, in Longmont, Colorado. The monograph was
developed and written for the Bureau of Justice Assistance by the Justice
Research and Statistics Association in coordination with the Office of
Justice Programs of the United States Department of Justice and the
National Institute of Corrections Academy.

The working meeting brought together more than 60 State planners and
local practitioners, as well as researchers, analysts, and law enforcement
officers, who are involved in implementing or evaluating programs to
improve the criminal justice system and their communities. This
publication describes workshop presentations of programs in correctional
settings that focus on improving the criminal justice system at the State
and local levels. Although the programs are local in scope, they hold great
promise for replication in other communities. The report seeks to aid that
process by including important information about the programs'
development and implementation.


The 21 programs discussed in this monograph are funded under the Byrne
Formula or Discretionary Grant programs and were nominated as effective
programs by BJA, the Byrne State Administrative Agencies, and local
criminal justice program managers. Several have been evaluated
extensively at the State and local levels by State and local criminal justice
researchers and practitioners using BJA's evaluation criteria and guidance.
The results were reported at the Annual Criminal Justice Research and
Evaluation Conference and in other forums. 

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State and Local Programs in Correctional Settings

Alabama: Jail Assistance Project

Statement of the Problem

Alabama is a rural State with few metropolitan areas. Because most local
jails do not have the resources to develop proactive corrections programs,
historically they have relied on outside agencies for technical assistance.
Although the quality of the assistance is satisfactory, there is a need to
shorten the length of time involved in producing reports and delivering
technical assistance.

Alabama jails have been in crisis since the mid-1970s, when, in Pug v.
Locke (1976), a Federal court order forbade the State prison system from
accepting new inmates until its population no longer exceeded the rated
capacity. The result was an instant backlog of State inmates in Alabama's
county jails. Overcrowding was exacerbated by the influx of drug
offenders into jails, which caused small, local detention facilities to
become permanent or semipermanent residences for felons with long-term
sentences. The responses to this crisis varied. Some local jurisdictions
implemented additional inmate programming, but others simply allowed
the situation to continue. "Conditions lawsuits" were filed against many
local jails, adding to the burdens on already overloaded systems.

Compounding the problem was Wyatt v. Stickney (1972), a court order
that effectively deinstitutionalized the Alabama mental health system.
Many hospitalized persons were released to community mental health
systems ill equipped to deal with them. As a result, many of these persons
were reinstitutionalized in local jails. Although the courts emphasized the
least restrictive alternative for treatment of mentally ill citizens, those who
found themselves bounced from the Alabama mental health system to the
Alabama county jail system became victims of the "most restrictive
alternative," with few or no resources to provide adequate care. This
problem resulted in additional litigation against local jails, prompting the
construction of several new county jails.

In February 1992, several Alabama counties filed a class-action lawsuit
against Alabama's Commissioner of Corrections to force the removal of
State-sentenced inmates from county jails, inmates for whom sheriffs
receive only $1.75 per day from the State for food. No per diem is
provided for housing State inmates in county jails. The State court ordered
the commissioner to remove all inmates from county jails within 30 days
of receipt of official transcripts.

The commissioner eventually was found to be in contempt of the order,
but, acting under pressure from the court, reported compliance with the
order on October 13, 1992. Nevertheless, the number of State inmates in
Alabama county jails continues to grow, and the problem will persist until
a better solution is found.

Meanwhile, an untenable nontreatment environment has been created for
mentally ill inmates who continue to be held in Alabama county jails. The
current waiting period for a forensic commitment bed is as long as 6
months, and the Alabama Department of Mental Health petitioned the
Federal district court in 1992 to eliminate the standards of care established
in Wyatt v. Stickney. That court ruled against the Department of Mental
Health, but the department has since filed an appeal to the 11th Circuit
Court of Appeals. If the appeal is successful, the Department of Mental
Health could continue to send individuals to the "most restrictive
alternative."

The Alabama jail situation is compounded by several problems that
contribute to the overall inability of the jails to house long-term State
inmates, mentally ill inmates, or any other class of inmates other than
those typically confined to local detention facilities. Foremost among these
problems is the condition of the State's local jail facilities, which range in
age from 10 to more than 100 years old. Some newer jails are ineffectively
designed, and most of the State's jail facilities are underfunded,
understaffed, and undermanaged. Government entities responsible for
funding the operation of local jails are often reluctant to invest in adequate
staffing. Many still view the local jail as the fiscal stepchild of the county,
even though Alabama law designates the operation of the county jail as the
priority preferred claim against the county.

The sheriffs of Alabama, through the Alabama Sheriffs' Association,
responded to these problems with the Alabama Jail Assistance Project
(AJAP). AJAP began operation on March 15, 1992, with funding from the
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) through the Law Enforcement
Planning Division of the Alabama Department of Economic and
Community Affairs, and with financial contributions from the sheriffs of
Alabama. Although the project currently employs a limited staff, it has
gained widespread acceptance through its provision of technical assistance
in various forms to numerous county and municipal jails.

Goals and Objectives

AJAP makes multifaceted technical assistance available to Alabama
county and municipal jails at no cost. The project's overall goal is to assist
Alabama jails, particularly those with few resources, to cope with
increasing demands for professionalism in their operations and to resolve
both immediate and long-term problems.

AJAP's objectives include:

o Provision of quick-response technical assistance.

o Provision of technical assistance geared to the specific needs of Alabama
jails.

o Utilization of local resources to resolve local problems.

o Increased training for local jail officers.

Program Components

Inspection and Evaluation 

AJAP has no authority to inspect and evaluate jail facilities, organizational
structure, or programming. However, many such inspections and
evaluations are conducted at the invitation of the sheriff or chief of police.
Inspections and followup reports focus on strengths and weaknesses of the
system and recommend improvements. In most cases, the sheriff or chief
of police forwards recommendations that require funding, with a request
for implementation, to either the county commission or city council.

Training 

Providing training is an integral component of AJAP's mission, and it is
conducted through the University of Alabama Law Enforcement Academy,
which is charged by the Alabama Peace Officers Training Commission
with providing minimum standards for training Alabama law enforcement
officers.

Although there are no legally mandated minimum training standards for
Alabama jail officers, the academy provides a basic 80-hour jail
management training curriculum. Training sessions are conducted at the
academy or hosted by a local sheriff or chief of police. The academy
conducts approximately six training sessions annually, and participation
has been excellent. Many departments now require their jail officers to
complete the training, and a large insurance firm in the State pays training
expenses for officers from jails enrolled in the policy.

AJAP staff members participate in all aspects of curriculum development
and instruction. This participation helps to ensure that the training remains
focused on the practitioner.

Policy and Procedure Development

Most rural jails in Alabama have a great need for comprehensive policy
and procedure directives. To meet this need, AJAP staff developed sample
policy and procedure guidelines specifically for the State's jails. Based on
case law, the Alabama County Jail Standards, the Code of Alabama, and
sound corrections practices, the guidelines assist local jails in developing
policies that, while reflecting each jail's unique operation, maintain
consistency throughout the State.

Jail Design and Renovation

In addition to serving as an adviser to the chief law enforcement official
charged with operating the jail, AJAP serves as a consultant to the
government funding agency charged with approving and funding the
design and construction of new or renovated facilities. AJAP works with
funding agencies in planning the development of new institutions, often
saving the agency the expense of employing a private consultant. In this
role, AJAP staff ensure that jail designs are staff- and cost-efficient and
that they conform to State standards.

Response to Litigation 

AJAP staff members are available on request to assist Alabama jail
officials and their attorneys with litigation over jail conditions, suicides,
medical services, and other issues. The AJAP staff function as consultants
to jail officers and their attorneys in developing and presenting a defense.
For example, at the request of jail attorneys in the class-action lawsuit
against the Alabama Commissioner of Corrections, and with the consent
of the presiding judge, AJAP inspected seven Alabama prisons to
determine whether space was being used adequately to house State
inmates. The subsequent report indicated that space was available in the
prisons and that more State inmates could be removed from county jails
without interfering significantly with ongoing rehabilitation programs. The
Alabama Department of Corrections is now using some of those
recommendations to assist in removing State inmates from county jails.

Resource and Reference Service 

AJAP serves as a resource and reference service for Alabama jail
personnel. Sheriffs, chiefs of police, and jail administrators call AJAP staff
with questions about the legality or appropriateness of an issue or planned
action. AJAP provides a rapid telephone response, often followed by a
letter or position paper addressing the issue. If needed, AJAP arranges
onsite technical assistance.

New Issues 

AJAP serves as a broker for information on new issues relevant to
Alabama jails. Information on issues such as the Americans With
Disabilities Act, the Bloodborne Pathogens Rule, the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act, and recent court decisions is disseminated to Alabama jail
officials to inform them of the legal requirements for compliance.

Results and Impact

Performance Measures

Although AJAP's success is based primarily on customer satisfaction, a
number of quantitative measures have also been recognized. These
measures include:

o The number and outcome of lawsuits brought against local jails.

o The number of requests for AJAP's policy manual.

o The number of officers trained.

o The number of service calls from local jails.

Implementation Problems and Successes 

The widespread need for the assistance provided by AJAP, the support of
all State and local agencies affected, and the overall satisfaction with the
project's work have created a hospitable environment for the project's
implementation and daily operation. AJAP has been hampered, however,
by its small staff, which currently is one individual, who is on call 24
hours a day, 365 days a year, to respond to all of the State's technical
assistance needs. Due to limited resources, the project occasionally cannot
respond to requests as quickly as it would like to, nor can it devote large
blocks of time to a single local need. However, by providing jail personnel
with training and knowledge, AJAP cuts down on redundant calls and
often refers calls to other jails that have solved similar problems.

Successes and Accomplishments

In the more than 5 years it has been in operation, AJAP has become a
valuable asset to local corrections jail systems in Alabama and has laid a
strong foundation for addressing the increasing demands overburdened
jails will face in the future. AJAP has raised awareness of the complexities
and needs of local jails throughout the criminal justice system. As a result,
local jails are increasingly viewed as an integral part of the system.
Whenever possible and appropriate, AJAP provides immediate technical
assistance upon request. Formal applications and a waiting period for
approval have been eliminated. Having AJAP as a resource has made local
jail officials feel more comfortable about requesting technical assistance
because they know that assistance will be geared to their needs and will be
sensitive to local issues.

AJAP training has increased professionalism among local jail officers, and
this professionalism has resulted in more statewide involvement in
organizations such as the American Jail Association. The Alabama Jail
Association has been developed as a professional organization for
Alabama's jail practitioners. AJAP has played an important role in the
development of an informal network of jail officials throughout the State.
Some jail officials, particularly those in rural areas who have been isolated
in the past, have been able to network with other jail officials and develop
informal partnerships to enhance professional growth.

From the project's inception in March 1992 through August 1997, AJAP
provided training to nearly 2,000 local jail officers. The demand for
training will continue because of the high turnover of local jail officers and
the continuing climate of litigation. AJAP, in conjunction with the
American Jail Association, will provide sheriffs with specialized training
on jail legal issues in the near future. AJAP also has provided a sample
policy and procedure manual to each Alabama sheriff and to numerous
other jail officials. The manual is especially beneficial to rural jails with
few resources for developing such documents. Additionally, AJAP has
worked with architects to improve the design of new jails and with
numerous attorneys involved in jail litigation.

AJAP's efforts have been recognized by members of the Federal judiciary,
and AJAP's staff person has been appointed as a mediator and monitor in
jail litigation.

Prospects for Replication

Prospects for replicating AJAP are good if the program has strong backing
from two key elements: a supporting organization with a vested interest in
the operation of local jails and a cooperative and innovative State grantor
agency. In addition, the project should be operated by staff with a
background in law enforcement and corrections and include adequate
clerical support.

Contact Information

Michael W. Haley
Director of Jail Services
Alabama Sheriffs' Association
514 Washington Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104-4385
Phone: 334-264-7827
Fax: 334-269-5588

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Colorado: Integration of Polygraph Testing With Sex Offenders Program 

Statement of the Problem

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) estimates that the recidivism
rate of sex offenders is 60 percent. In 1983, more than 400 paraphiliac sex
offenders were studied under a Federal certificate of confidentiality. The
study determined that, on average, each sex offender committed 44 crimes
per year. In an effort to enhance public safety, corrections systems are
looking for ways to reduce recidivism and safely reintegrate sex offenders
into the community. Programs that combine offense-specific treatment,
specialized supervision and monitoring, and polygraph examination show
the greatest promise in reducing recidivism.

Although the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) administers
offense-specific treatment and specialized supervision for sex offenders,
prior to this project it did not have the capability to administer polygraph
tests to them. From October 1, 1996, to September 30, 1997, 242
incarcerated sex offenders in the State were released from prison to parole,
249 discharged their sentences, and 54 were released through other means.
The majority of these offenders were released directly into the community
without specialized supervision or polygraph examination.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the Integration of Polygraph Testing With Sex Offenders
Program is to reduce the recidivism of sex offenders by enhancing
treatment and supervision through the use of polygraph examinations. The
following are the program's objectives:

o Develop and establish a polygraph policy for CDOC inmates and
parolees.

o Establish a baseline and 6-month monitoring polygraph testing program
for inmates in the Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) Phase II
Therapeutic Community and for inmates and parolees under Risk
Assessment Management (RAM) community supervision and Approved
Treatment Provider (ATP) programs.

o Establish a research and evaluation plan to document program
participation, effectiveness, and outcomes. Use this information to develop
national research products.

o Provide technical assistance and in-service training annually to SOTP
clinicians, community agents, and parole officers to ensure effective
program management.

o Establish a statewide list of polygraph specialists who meet ATP's 
standard criteria to conduct the testing program.

o Increase by 10 percent the number of sex offenders receiving community
or parole placement before their discharge into the community.

o Collaborate with the Colorado Board of Parole on the use of polygraphs
as a treatment and supervision tool.

o Increase public safety by reducing by 10 percent the rate of reoffending
by sex offenders in community or parole placement.

o Increase by 50 percent the number of sex offenders receiving polygraph
examinations while on parole and in community corrections.

o Establish specific standards for polygraphers on the ATP list.

o Conduct a baseline and 6-month followup polygraph examination of
approximately 90 sex offenders in Phase II of SOTP, 110 sex offenders on
parole, and 20 sex offenders in community corrections.

Program Components

Institutional Use 

The polygraph test is utilized during Phase II of SOTP. An initial baseline
test is administered at 3 months, with periodic followup tests as clinically
appropriate. The polygraph test is integrated into Phase II by explaining it
in the Phase II Treatment Contract. The Phase II Treatment Contract is
signed by the offender prior to enrolling in Phase II. The polygrapher is
considered a member of the Phase II treatment team and has access to
clinical records and impressions. This role is clarified in the treatment
contract.

Prior to each polygraph test, the inmate is given an Informed Consent
Form that explains that (1) DOC employees are required to report to the
Department of Social Services any child abuse that has taken place within
the past 10 years and any specific information indicating prior or current
child sexual abuse; (2) information about new crimes or Code of Penal
Discipline (COPD) violations committed between polygraph tests will be
reported to the proper authorities; and (3) information obtained from the
polygraph test will be forwarded to parole officers and community
corrections agents in a report or personal change contract.

Offenders who exhibit deception on their test but do not admit the
deception are subject to a retest, group sessions regarding the results of the
examination, and identification of the areas of deception on reports and/or
personal change contracts that are forwarded to parole officers and
community corrections agents.

Acknowledgment of reoffending COPD violations during the pretest and
posttest interviews on a periodic exam will result in reports to the proper
authorities, group discussion and termination from treatment, if
appropriate, and revision of the inmate's relapse plan and personal change
contract. Offenders who refuse to take a polygraph exam are terminated
from treatment.

Community Corrections Use

The polygraph test is used by community corrections as a
treatment/supervision tool. All sex offenders receive periodic polygraph
tests. Sex offenders who have not previously taken baseline tests are
required to do so while in community corrections. Offenders who deny
their crime or are not participating in treatment are viewed as high risk and
tested more frequently.

The polygraph test is a condition of a community corrections placement.
All inmates sign a Release of Information Form to release CDOC case
material to the polygraph examiner. Each inmate is required to sign an
Informed Consent Form. Offenders who are deceptive on polygraph tests
are subject to increased supervision, treatment, and repeat testing. They are
not regressed solely on the basis of a finding of deception on a polygraph
exam. Upon determination of deception, and when there is no admission
of reoffense or violation, the following steps may be taken: retesting,
increasing collateral contacts, increasing surveillance and informing law
enforcement as appropriate, electronic monitoring, detention (including
home detention), and remediation.

When an inmate admits during the pretest or posttest interview to a
reoffense or violation, a report is made to the proper authorities. The
inmate is then charged with a COPD violation, transferred to a more
secure facility, and electronically monitored. Refusal to take a polygraph
test may result in the filing of Code of Penal Discipline charges.

Parole Use

The polygraph test is used by parole officials as a treatment and
supervision tool. All sex offenders receive periodic polygraph tests. Sex
offenders who have not previously taken baseline tests are required to do
so while on parole. Offenders who deny their crime or are not participating
in treatment are viewed as high risk and tested more frequently.

Because the polygraph test is a condition of parole for sex offenders, all
parolees must sign a Release of Information Form to release CDOC case
material to the polygraph examiner. Parolees must also sign an Informed
Consent Form. Offenders who are deceptive on polygraph tests are subject
to intensified parole supervision and treatment and repeat testing. Parole
will not be revoked solely on the basis of a finding of deception on a
polygraph exam. Upon a determination of deception, and when there is no
admission of reoffense or violation, the following steps may be taken:
retesting, referral to the Intensive Supervision Program (ISP), increasing
collateral contacts, increasing surveillance and informing law enforcement'
and electronic monitoring.

When parolees admit during the pre- or posttest interview that they
committed an offense or violation while on parole, the proper authorities
are notified, and an arrest is made when appropriate. If there is no
revocation, ISP and electronic monitoring are considered. A parole
complaint is filed when an offender refuses to take a polygraph test.

Results and Impact

Performance Measures

The program has had an impact on the Colorado criminal justice system in
the following areas:

o Identifying offenders' risk areas, which contributes to improving
personal change contracts (relapse prevention plans); imposing more
stringent parole conditions; authorizing parole plans and limiting contact
with the victim pool; implementing community supervision plans;
selecting an approved treatment provider; and notifying law enforcement.

o Tracking the number of offenders receiving treatment.

o Increasing parole of sex offenders contingent upon their receiving
treatment, enabling the Parole Board to have more knowledge of the
offender's history and a more effective monitoring tool for parole.

o Increasing public safety by detecting technical parole violators earlier
and removing them from the community before they reoffend.

o Incorporating knowledge about sex offenders into law enforcement
training and victim treatment programs.

o Sharing information on the treatment and supervision of sex offenders
with the board of the Sex Offender Treatment Program, which sets
treatment and monitoring standards for the Colorado criminal justice
system.

Implementation Problems and Successes

The Colorado Board of Parole is unlikely to parole sex offenders. This
project offers a safer method to monitor sex offenders in institutions, in
community corrections, and on parole. An important question is how to
handle the disclosure of past crimes during polygraph testing. CDOC is
consulting with sex crime prosecutors to obtain recommendations for
reporting past crimes.

Successes and Accomplishments

The program, which began in October 1995, has achieved several
objectives. Criteria for polygraph examiners have been established, and
five qualified polygraph examiners have been contracted to provide
services. Parole officers, SOTP staff, and polygraph examiners have
received training on both the program and cultural diversity, and the State
attorney general's office is reviewing the program policy for final approval.
The Colorado Parole Board has met with the program's staff to exchange
ideas and address concerns, and staff members have shared information
with police departments on individual behavior patterns. Data forms have
been developed, and sexual history questionnaires are in use. In addition,
staff have met with a research consultant to develop and plan data
collection. Polygraphing of all sex offenders receiving treatment is now
mandatory in Colorado.

Prospects for Replication

This project could be replicated by other corrections departments in
conjunction with sex offender treatment programs, community corrections
halfway house systems, and parole divisions. Any polygraph testing
program should consider using experienced and knowledgeable polygraph
providers, having all procedures and personnel in place before initiating
the program, employing a rotating schedule of polygraph examiners, and
structuring examinations in ways that prevent offenders from becoming
too aware of the procedure.

Contact Information

Peggy Heil
Director 
Sex Offender Treatment Program
Colorado Department of Corrections
P.O. Box 1600
Canon City, CO 81215-1600
Phone: 719-269-4506
Fax: 719-275-2859

Bonita McKee
Program Administrator
Division of Adult Parole Supervision
Colorado Department of Corrections 
10403 West Colfax, No. 700 
Lakewood, CO 80215
Phone: 303-238-5967, ext. 16
Fax: 303-238-0176

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Colorado: Juvenile Offender Substance Abuse Treatment Project 

Statement of the Problem

There is a significant and serious gap in the system of care for
substance-abusing youth in Colorado's juvenile detention facilities.
Despite a large body of evidence documenting the high incidence of
substance abuse among juvenile offenders and the relationship between
substance abuse and criminal activity, no treatment is offered to youth in
secure or nonsecure detention alternatives. For 4 years, surveys on
substance abuse conducted at Zebulon Pike, the El Paso County youth
detention facility, have identified substantial numbers of youth in need of
substance abuse treatment and intervention, yet these results have never
resulted in the provision of treatment services. The following data from
Zebulon Pike illustrate the extent of the problem:

 o Of 1,173 surveys on substance abuse administered to youth in detention
in 1996 by the Detention Services for Juveniles (DSJ) program, 275 scored
high, indicating substantial dysfunction and im--mediate need for
treatment, whereas 286 scored in the middle range, indicating immediate
need for intervention.

o A survey of Zebulon Pike residents (150 questionnaires) yielded the
following information: 41 percent indicated that they use marijuana often,
39 percent indicated that they use alcohol often, and 9 percent indicted that
they use hard narcotics often. (Not all respondents answered every
question.)

o Of youth designated serious habitual offenders, more than 46 percent are
known to have substance abuse issues.

o At least 536 juvenile arrests in 1992 involved drugs, alcohol, or both.

The Juvenile Offender Substance Abuse Treatment (JOSAT) Project was
developed to address the problem behind these numbers. JOSAT targets
youth brought to detention whose score on a substance use survey (given
as part of each youth's intake assessment by detention staff) indicates a
need for further assessment and educational and/or treatment alternatives.
It is critical for the rehabilitation of these youth that their substance abuse
treatment needs be addressed. Most adolescents have not "bottomed out"
like their adult counterparts, many of whom have lost their jobs, families,
finances, and health. With appropriate treatment and support, adolescents
can recover. If they can be reached, they have the ability to heal.

Goals and Objectives

JOSAT was created to help the large number of juvenile offenders who
abuse alcohol and other drugs as part of their criminal activities. Its goals
are to:

o Provide thorough case management and aftercare for juvenile offenders
with substance abuse problems.

o Decrease substance abuse by achieving at least a 60-percent decrease in
substance abuse among treated youth after 3 months.

o Reduce recidivism by achieving a 70-percent decrease in recidivism
among youth after 3 months.

o Decrease the population of youth in secure detention by annually treating
in the community 25 youth who previously would have been detained.

To establish these priorities, the following objectives were set:

o Assess the treatment needs of all juvenile offenders.

o Recommend community-based treatment, rather than detention,
whenever possible.

o Meet the treatment needs of assessed juvenile offenders through
individual and group counseling as part of a program model that adheres to
accepted standards of practice.

o Establish linkages with case management services provided by the DSJ
program.

o Develop an appropriate followup plan to take effect upon release from
detention or discharge from DSJ.

o Develop a committee to plan for continued funding before the project's
original grant expires.

Program Components

All youth brought to Zebulon Pike are assessed by DSJ. Part of the
assessment includes a substance use survey. Youth scoring high or at the
high end of the middle range are referred to JOSAT. Scores are turned
over to two Colorado-certified drug and alcohol counselors who conduct
further assessments and complete written treatment recommendations for
referred youth. (Both counselors are employees of the El Paso County
Health Department, which provides weekly clinical supervision and a
training budget.) From this point, linkages between JOSAT Project staff
and youth are established through the case manager and meet the specific
requirements of the Federal Regulations of Confidentiality of Alcohol and
Drug Abuse Patient Records.

There are two treatment options for youth recommended for treatment. In
conjunction with the DSJ case managers, the possibility of pretrial release
into the DSJ program is considered. If the youth meets criteria for
community-based services, with a specified level of supervision, a JOSAT
Project treatment component is recommended to the court. If the court
agrees, participation in the project becomes a condition for release. For
these youth, group treatment sessions are offered three times a week at
Workout, Ltd., the component of DSJ that supervises released youth.
Weekly individual sessions are scheduled as required. In addition, drug
testing by urinalysis may be used with youth receiving such treatment.

Youth remaining in secure detention at Zebulon Pike participate in weekly
educational groups scheduled within the center's educational curriculum
and taught by JOSAT counselors. Individual counseling is also available
through a recommendation after intake assessment and with the youth's
consent. Followup treatment is available for appropriate youth upon
release from detention. However, unless mandated by court order as a
condition or parole or release, followup treatment is voluntary.

In all cases, the needs of the families are considered. If further services are
necessary for and desired by families, project staff, Workout, Ltd., and/or
DSJ case managers work together to make the most appropriate referrals
and assist them with suggestions.

Results and Impact

Performance Measures

The JOSAT Project measures its impact using statistical data, self-reports,
and community and agency feedback and input. Statistics are kept on the
number of youth originally assessed as appropriate for the project and the
number of youth leaving detention with treatment as a condition of release.

The overall decrease in secure detention population due to the project is
computed. Self-report inventories at 3-month intervals measure decreases
in drug and alcohol use and recidivism. When youth agree to a release of
information waiver, such data are collected from or verified by officials
such as probation officers and case managers. An oversight committee
consisting of collaborating agencies, probation officers, and local law
enforcement personnel reviews the information and offers feedback on
how the program could be improved.

Implementation Problems and Successes

Implementation of the project was delayed for approximately 4 months
due to the participating agencies' difficulty in developing and maintaining
a collaborative relationship. However, once these agencies fully
understood the project and its implementation plan, the process proceeded
smoothly. The project's ability to use programs already in place was partly
responsible. Drug and alcohol screening had been conducted by DSJ staff
for 4 years before the JOSAT Project's inception, and court officials' full
support of the project led to their immediate approval of treatment
recommendations as part of release conditions.

A continuing problem for the project has been finding an effective
approach to followup treatment for youth who are appropriate for
treatment but not released to a supervised facility. Unless followup
treatment is ordered by the court, JOSAT counselors have no power over
youth. As a result, they often have no outside incentive or encouragement
to take advantage of treatment opportunities. JOSAT counselors are
working with probation and parole agents to encourage them to emphasize
continued substance abuse treatment when working with youth in need of
assistance.

Successes and Accomplishments

For the first time, a concrete connection has been found between the
project's survey results and further assessment and treatment in both
detention and the community. This advance is significant in that it allows
the system to respond to the needs of youth and their families. During the
project's first 2 years, 404 juvenile offenders were treated. In addition to
having access to services, all detained youth were provided with substance
abuse education. In total, more than 1,600 youth have benefited from the
program.

Other accomplishments include:

o A decrease in the population of Zebulon Pike Detention Center.

o Thorough case management and aftercare for substance-abusing juvenile
offenders.

o A decrease in substance abuse by treated youth.

o A decline in recidivism among treated youth.

o The creation of a funding committee.

Prospects for Replication

Replication of JOSAT is possible if commitment and resources for
collaboration exist in the community. Elements contributing to smooth
implementation are:

o Broad-based support by the justice system.

o Collaboration with nonsecure detention facilities, the State's social
services agency, probation departments, and group homes to accommodate
the aftercare needs of youth released from detention. 

o Full-time detention staff working to administer and score drug and
alcohol screening assessments and distribute them to project counselors.
(Counselors can also perform assessments, but only of youth admitted
during the hours they are at the facility.)

o Facilities for treatment and educational sessions at secure and non-
secure detention centers.

o A project evaluator and oversight committee to track and evaluate
project strengths and weaknesses.

o The contribution of local cash matching funds by participating agencies.

o Policies and procedures for regular staff training and supervision.

o A plan for future funding to ensure the project's continuation.

Contact Information

Mercedes Harden
Director
McMaster Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
El Paso County Department of Health and Environment
301 South Union Boulevard
Colorado Springs, CO 80910
Phone: 719-578-3153
Fax: 719-578-3182

-------------------------------

Colorado: Department of Corrections Youth Offender System

Statement of the Problem

In summer 1993, the Governor of Colorado initiated a 14-point plan for a
Colorado Partnership Against Violence. Given the significant problem of
youth violence, specifically violence involving weapons, in Colorado and
throughout the Nation, a major facet of the plan called for the creation of
an innovative program to address youth violence. In response, the
Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) developed and presented the
Youth Offender System (YOS) program to the Governor and to the
Colorado General Assembly. The program was passed into law on
September 13, 1993, and received its first commitments in March 1994.

YOS targets youthful offenders (14 to 18 years of age at time of offense)
who have been convicted as adults of a violent, weapons-related offense
(class 3 through class 6 felony) or who are designated as chronic youthful
offenders. As appropriate, the court suspends the adult sentence on
condition that the offender complete a 2- to 6-year determinate YOS
commitment. Throughout the sentence, the court retains jurisdiction and
can sentence the offender to adult CDOC or order probation if he or she
does not benefit from YOS. Additionally, CDOC retains authority to
recommend to the court that an unmanageable or intractable youth be
transferred by revocation to adult CDOC. Revocation results in the
institution of the suspended adult sentence, which is typically significantly
longer than the YOS sentence.

Goals and Objectives

The mission of YOS is to provide youthful offenders with a controlled and
regimented environment that affirms the dignity of one's self and others,
promotes values of work and self-discipline, and develops useful skills and
abilities through an enriched, needs-based, phased program. The program
also seeks to provide strict but supportive aftercare to prepare offenders for
positive community reintegration.

YOS has developed the following objectives:

o Provide effective intervention for youth offenders who are not career
criminals now but would likely become career criminals or more serious
offenders without intervention.

  o Provide staff models and mentors who promote the development of
  socially accepted behavior and attitudes.
  
  o Create a daily regimen that occupies youth offenders in physical training,
  strict discipline, education, work, and meaningful social interaction while
  providing appropriate security and discipline.
  
  o Develop an environment of positive peer support and influence that
  promotes behavioral change.
  
  o Provide diagnosis, treatment, and program services (including
  counseling; substance abuse education and relapse prevention; academic,
  cognitive, prevocational, and vocational education; and placement
  assistance) that enable the offender to pursue a course of lawful and
  productive conduct upon release from legal restraint.
  
  o Teach self-discipline by providing clear consequences for behavior.
  
  o Reinforce offenders' use of cognitive behavioral strategies that change
  criminal thinking and teach problem-solving skills that serve as
  alternatives to criminal activity.
  
  o Enhance education, self-care, and parenting skills to improve life-role
  functioning.
  
  o Support offenders' development of employment skills.
  
  o Reduce offenders' gang involvement and replace gang principles with
  values accepted by the community.
  
  o Reduce criminal recidivism.
  
  o Reduce substance abuse among offenders.
  
  o Enable offenders to develop and internalize positive behavioral norms.
  
  o Increase offenders' participation in services to establish and maintain
  program gains.
  
  o Give offenders a "second last chance" to learn and develop positive
  self-concepts and the value of service to others.
  
  Program Components
  
  YOS is multifaceted, providing core programming to all offenders and
   additional individual options to meet offenders' special needs. An intake,
  diagnostic, and orientation (IDO) phase is followed by three program
  phases.
  
  Intake, Diagnostic, and Orientation Phase
  
  Typically 1 month in duration, this phase sets the stage for participation in
  YOS. The intake process establishes the foundation for assessing
  individual offender characteristics and developing an individual program
  plan. The subsequent comprehensive diagnostic process, led by a multi-
  disciplinary YOS team, results in an integrated and individualized program
  plan designed to maximize positive change.
  
  Throughout the IDO phase, all youth, when not involved in orientation or
  diagnostic activities, are subject to a highly structured regimen based on
  the traditional military boot camp model. Emphasizing group discipline
  and group incentives, this regimen establishes the attitudes and behaviors
  needed to participate effectively in the positive peer culture and
  programming that characterize Phase I.
  
  Phase I. This phase provides intensive residential programming in a secure
  facility for 8 months to 4 years and 8 months, depending on the
  determinate sentence. Phase I uses a functional unit approach within the
  context of positive peer culture. Each unit (up to 16 residents) serves as a
  small community in which incentives, negative consequences, and peer
  pressure are used to discourage antisocial thinking and behavior and
  replace them with prosocial behavior. Each resident participates in a core
  program, which emphasizes academic education, cognitive restructuring,
  and prevocational and vocational education. Each youth also participates
  in supplementary programs tailored to his or her program plan. Phase I is
  staffed by multidisciplinary teams, with each team member sharing in the
  responsibilities of security, discipline, education, treatment, and behavior
  modification. Staff are chosen for their ability to mentor, coach, train, and
  counsel effectively within these domains.
  
  Phase II. A 3-month transition program that supports the progress made in
  Phase I, this phase establishes the basis for reintegration into the
  community in Phase III. This phase offers a diversity of program
  components, including education, life skills, and prevocational training,
  and engages resident in development of a Phase III plan that encompasses
  living arrangements, education, employment, community service, and
  other individual needs.
  
  Phase III. A 3- to 9-month community reintegration program, this phase
  gradually decreases supervision intensity while increasing positive
  program participation, progress toward defined objectives, and prosocial
  community involvement.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  Infrastructures being established to measure outcomes of all phases of
  YOS will serve a vital function in examining the program's effectiveness.
  Data will be collected on screening, assessment, diagnosis, program
  services, reentry to the community, community followup, and 5-year
  followup. Outcomes, which will be obtained from offender interviews and
  clinical assessments, will include relapse into criminal behavior, gang
  membership, and drug and alcohol dependence; the provision of restitution
  to victims; and psychological, social, and physical impairment. Primary
  goals of the YOS evaluation component are to:
  
  o Determine the program's effectiveness in reducing criminal behavior,
  arrests, and commitments to CDOC.
  
  o Examine the cost effectiveness of the program relative to the costs of
  institutional commitment and community supervision.
  
  o Assess offender progress over the course of YOS in skills development,
  emotional functioning, and motivation.
  
  o Evaluate the community adjustment of YOS offenders in employment,
  involvement in treatment, and use of community services.
  
  o Identify offender characteristics that predict positive outcomes during
  and following YOS to determine whether program assessments and 
  interventions are provided as intended and according to curriculum 
  program manuals and other program provider guidelines.
  
  o Examine changes in YOS over time.
  
  Seeking to develop thorough and well-founded research and evaluation
  approaches, YOS has established liaisons with agencies and organizations,
  including local universities and other criminal justice agencies, that have
  recognized experts in the field. In addition, the YOS evaluation program
  plan includes a range of established procedures and instruments.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  There have been numerous challenges for the many agencies and
  individuals who are stakeholders in YOS. While implementation problems
  have, in large part, been similar to those experienced by other programs
  with nontraditional systems, they have been magnified in scope and
  intensity because the unique features of YOS extend beyond its immediate
  legislative, judicial, and correctional environments. YOS has broken new
  ground nationally. Intensive education and communication have been used
  successfully to facilitate stakeholders' understanding of the program's
  mission, goals, objectives, and methodologies; to ensure consistency with
  the program plan and legislative intent; and to secure and enhance staff
  skills.
  
  In addition, intensive efforts have been required to maintain qualified and
  experienced staff that meet the programmatic requirements of YOS.
  Position classifications suited to other employment settings, including the
  adult CDOC, are not suited to YOS. Although efforts are under way to
  develop more appropriate classifications, time delays in bringing a full
  staff on board have made it difficult to implement the entire YOS
  program. Through patience and persistence, however, YOS has filled
  nearly all of its staffing needs with dedicated individuals who are qualified
  to deliver the program's diverse program components.
  
  The development of information collection, storage, analysis, and retrieval
  infrastructures to support accountability, program evaluation, and other
  vital monitoring functions has challenged limited staff resources.
  Traditional systems have been found to have limited utility within YOS,
  making it necessary to modify existing systems or develop new ones. A
  number of basic systems are currently in place and will provide a sound
  foundation for future enhancements.
  
  YOS requires the delivery of highly diversified program components, and
  securing established curriculums of a level, scope, depth, and length suited
  to the YOS population and environment initially posed problems.
  However, due to substantial investigatory efforts, virtually all major and
  most supplementary program components have been implemented.
  
  Finally, integration of the YOS program phases has presented challenges.
  A comprehensive program spanning initial incarceration in a highly secure
  and structured environment through community placement and
  supervision is central to the program's success. Strong, positive liaisons
  spanning program phases have been established and continue to facilitate
  effective redirection.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  YOS is innovative in concept and in development. The program integrates
  components and approaches that research and experience have
  demonstrated to be among the most promising in redirecting the lives of
  young and violent offenders. By continually improving its effectiveness by
  developing quality assurance, process, and outcome evaluation
  components, the program ensures that it is not only effective but dynamic.
  To date, the program has accomplished the following:
  
  o In 1994, legislation modified the YOS sentencing structure, establishing
  the program as a sentencing alternative for chronic youthful offenders who
  meet specified criteria.
  
  o YOS has attracted nationwide attention as a model program.
  
  o Funding has been secured and contracts finalized to provide Phase I
  housing and programming for all Phase I females and for males exceeding
  the 96-bed capacity of the current YOS facility. The project's new facility
  opened in 1997.
  
  o As of May 1997, the total YOS youth population stood at 272. Of those
  youth, 228 were in Phase I, 15 were in Phase II, and 29 were in Phase III.
  
  o Drug and alcohol education and relapse prevention, cognitive
  restructuring, and postsecondary education programs have been developed,
  with emphasis on vocational education and job-readiness preparation.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  By legislative mandate and program commitment, YOS is actively
  establishing the foundations for rigorous quality assurance, program
  evaluation, and research with the intent of identifying the extent to which
  YOS supports the effective redirection of youthful offenders toward
  healthy, productive behavior. The results of these efforts will be used to
  guide decisions about program replication and to facilitate replication by
  providing clearer definitions of the YOS program and its components. 
  
  Contact Information
  
  Noble Wallace
  Director, Phase I
  Youthful Offender System
  10900 Smith Road
  Denver, CO 80239-8006
  Phone: 303-375-2900
  Fax: 303-375-2909
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Delaware: Mentor Program, Inc.
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  Nationally, a high proportion of women return to prison within their first
  year of release. Female offenders state that they lack role models and have
  more obstacles to overcome than men. Participants interviewed expressed
  very low self-esteem and found no support system upon release. Less than
  50 percent have their general equivalency diploma or high school diploma,
  and most lack marketable skills.
  
  Women stated that they had so much anger and pain that it was hard for
  them to function from day to day. It was this pain and anger that drove
  them to dependency on alcohol or other drugs, and to maintain their use of
  alcohol or drugs they resorted to stealing and prostitution. Other women
  were so involved in abusive relationships with men that if their partners
  did not beat them, the women thought they did not love them. These
  women believed they deserved this type of relationship because they had
  experienced physical, mental, or sexual abuse as children.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The goals of the Delaware Mentor Program (DMP), Inc., are to reduce,
  through a self-awareness program, the number of women who return to
  prison within their first year of release, develop a support system for their
  transition into the community, and help female offenders compete in and
  contribute to society.
  
  The objectives of the program are to secure funding and office space,
  recruit a board of directors, secure 501(c)(3) status, develop a
  self-awareness program, hire an executive director and a Phase I
  coordinator, recruit professional presenters from the community, recruit
  women to be mentors, develop a postgraduate phase, and raise awareness
  through the news media, public appearances, and special events.
  
  
  Program Components
  
  A 19-member board of directors conducts the business affairs of the
  program and oversees finances. The board meets monthly to review
  accomplishments and develop goals for the future. All program
  participants are volunteers. During preenrollment interviews, participants
  discuss why they want to change and their willingness to do so. Guidelines
  for completion of the course are discussed, and participants are given
  control over their future choices. They understand that they are
  accountable for their actions from this time forward. All mentors are
  selected from the community. They may be graduates of the program with
  the stipulation that they have resided successfully in the community for a
  year. The program has three components.
  
  Phase I. A self-awareness program designed to allow female offenders to
  discover who they are and understand how their anger and pain dictates
  their behavior, Phase I consists of 48 to 53 2-hour workshops over 13
  weeks. The workshops are offered in five categories: self-actualization,
  relapse prevention, relationships, preparation for employment, and
  educational opportunities. After Phase I is completed, many participants
  move to work release or remain incarcerated while participating in the
  postgraduate phase.
  
  Postgraduate Phase. Designed to help graduates of Phase I determine
  individual recovery paths, this phase offers participants the opportunity to
  understand and change patterns of behavior. The group meets weekly for 2
  hours and represents DMP in special events. Sessions are open to residents
  who have graduated from Phase I until their release from prison. Because
  they are considered role models for the entire prison population,
  participants' behavior and willingness to work on personal issues are a top
  priority.
  
  Education and Recruitment. Whenever possible, the executive director and
  graduates of DMP who are in the community speak to organizations and
  participate in special events. The program is supported by the University
  of Delaware, Delaware Technical and Community College, and local
  corporations and organizations. Members of these organizations serve as
  presenters, mentors, or board members, and all volunteer valuable time
  and services.
  
  DMP expects graduates to change the way in which they interact in
  society. The women get involved in support organizations such as
  Alcoholics Anonymous and women's counseling groups, and they seek to
  increase their educational levels by obtaining a general equivalency
  diploma or high school diploma or attending college. Instead of applying
  for minimum wage employment, graduates seek positions that offer career
  advancement.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  Women in the program are tracked through the criminal justice system,
  and data are updated once a year. Within the coming year, data will be
  released relating to graduates' housing, education, and employment. Other
  performance measures include the number of successful graduates helped
  by the program, recidivism rates, and degree to which participants have
  separated themselves from negative home environments after release.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  DMP's success has been supported through the efforts of the warden and
  staff of Delors J. Baylor Women's Correctional Institution (DJBWCI). An
  important factor has been the program staff's willingness to work as a team
  with the corrections and judicial systems to help women offenders become
  contributing members of society.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  The program's accomplishments include:
  
  o Becoming a 501(c)(3) organization with a full board of directors that
  meets monthly.
  
  o Obtaining four offices and a reception area at DJBWCI.
  
  o Obtaining funding for an executive director and a Phase I coordinator.
  
  o Completing 15 Phase I classes.
  
  o Analyzing and presenting recidivism results.
  
  o Securing a Federal grant and State contracts.
  
  o Receiving positive reviews by media, including television and
  newspapers.
  
  o Receiving enthusiastic support from the DJBWCI warden, who has
  observed a noticeable change in demeanor among program participants.
  
  o Increasing the ability of the program's graduates to make choices to
  improve themselves after release from prison by working on core issues, to
  consider halfway houses instead of returning to destructive past
  relationships, and to set goals to ensure a secure future.
  
  o Creating and implementing a transition phase for women offenders after
  release from prison.
  
  o Receiving the Governor's Outstanding Volunteer Award in 1996.
  
  As of June 1996, 170 women had graduated from the Delaware Mentor
  Program and left the institution for the community. In addition, 15
  participants who did not complete the program left the program before that
  date. First-year recidivism rates for graduates and all participants were
  21.8 percent and 22.2 percent, respectively, compared with the 1989
  baseline rate of 39.5 percent. Marsha Miller, a statistical consultant and
  past chair of the program's board of directors, follows all clients through
  the criminal justice system and provides updated statistics yearly.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  DMP can be replicated in any female institution. Teamwork among the
  corrections staff, the judicial system, and the community is essential to
  provide the support incarcerated women need to heal their anger and pain
  and become productive citizens.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Linda Forshey
  Executive Director
  Delaware Mentor Program, Inc.
  P.O. Box 11524
  Wilmington, DE 19850
  Phone: 302-577-3004
  Fax: 302-577-5849
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Idaho: Ada County Jail Substance Abuse Program
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  Crime in Idaho is connected to drug use and abuse. The most recent
  statistics indicate that 46 percent of arrests in Ada County are directly
  connected to drug or alcohol use. Of all arrests involving drugs, 90 percent
  are for methamphetamine (speed). In the Pacific Northwest, use of
  methamphetamine is on the rise. Within the past 2 years, use of the drug
  has risen 400 percent in the region.
  
  Generally, inmates with a drug or alcohol problem are treated in State
  prisons, not in local or county jails. State prisons incarcerate inmates for
  longer periods than do local jails, and they are typically better funded.
  Most prison inmates have a record of several arrests and periods of
  incarceration prior to serving State prison time, and most have served at
  least one stint as a county jail inmate before becoming a State prison
  inmate. To stop the drug/crime cycle before drug-abusing offenders reach
  this point in the criminal justice system, training and education must be
  offered to them earlier in the process.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  If drug abuse among young first- or second-time offenders can be reduced,
  the incidence of crime will decrease. Waiting until offenders are
  incarcerated in the State prison system makes achieving this outcome
  extremely difficult. The mission of the Ada County Jail Substance Abuse
  Program is to reduce the use of drugs and alcohol by offenders who are
  sentenced to incarceration at the local level. Incarceration is an excellent
  time to provide education and group treatment to offenders. The program
  provides short-term treatment and, upon release, refers the offender to a
  community agency for followup treatment.
  
  Program Components
  
  The 4-week coed program employs 1 full-time instructor to teach
  approximately 16 inmates, who are in class 30 hours each week. Male and
  female inmates are housed separately. Participants are encouraged to study
  together and discuss their assignments with inmates from previous
  sessions. 
  
  The program's administrative assistant screens applicants and assigns
  inmates to upcoming sessions. A psychologist, who serves as the
  program's administrative head, coordinates program activities and designs
  the statistical evaluation. The program's first-year budget was funded
  entirely through a Federal grant. For the second year, one-third of the
  budget was funded by inmates. Over the next 2 years, inmates assumed
  100 percent of program costs.
  
  Inmates participate in the program either voluntarily or by court order.
  Inmates must be compliant, be sentenced to time in the county jail, be able
  to live in a dormitory setting, and have ties to the local community so that
  upon release they can be tracked and placed in aftercare. Inmates must
  have no pending charges and no convictions for violent felonies. Offenders
  are removed from the program if they proposition or are rude to one
  another.
  
  Upon admission to the program, inmates sign contracts in which they
  agree to comply with all jail rules and staff instructions, attend the
  program voluntarily, attend at least 1 year of followup outpatient alcohol
  and drug treatment after release from jail, stay in contact with the
  program's staff for 1 year following release from jail, involve their families
  in follow-up treatment and provide them with followup information, and
  live in the community after release. 
  
  After a contract is signed, the inmate's substance abuse is evaluated and a
  treatment plan is created. Services offered by the program include
  individual and group counseling, 12-step programs, and classes on
  relaxation and meditation, legal matters, education, health and nutrition,
  addiction, financial issues, social and family dynamics, spirituality,
  communication skills, sexuality and gender issues, relapse prevention, and
  vocational rehabilitation. Female inmates are treated in separate
  counseling sessions.
  
  In aftercare, which is paid for by inmates, the program links offenders with
  an aftercare program in the community. Jail staff help inmates make
  reservations in the aftercare program and perform followup interviews
  with inmates and their families after inmates have been released.
  
  Ada County has also created a program in which offenders go to work, live
  at home, and attend mandatory classes at the jail. Urine analyses are
  conducted during their visit, and offenders may be held overnight in the
  jail if their urine analysis reveals substance abuse.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  The program was designed with the minimum expectation that graduates
  will stop using illegal drugs or alcohol or will use them less frequently. It
  is also expected that graduates will be arrested less frequently. Following
  release from custody, inmates are contacted by the administrative assistant
  every 3 months to ensure that they are attending classes and counseling
  sessions according to their treatment plan. To measure the program's
  impact, jail staff periodically check the local criminal database to
  determine if program graduates have been arrested and, if so, whether the
  arrest is related to drug use.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  The program's most significant problem during implementation was lack
  of classroom space due to overcrowding in the jail. The situation was
  remedied, however, when a break in the influx of inmates to the jail
  created extra space.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  Early in 1997, staff determined that they needed access to statewide
  criminal records to compare the program's recidivism data with that of
  other jail substance abuse programs. (For the study, recidivism was
  defined as an arrest, within a 12-month period after release, that led to a
  conviction.) Nationally, recidivism for offenders charged with drug-related
  crimes is 50 to 80 percent. 
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  The program's prospects for replication are excellent. Its essential elements
  are simple: an instructor, an administrative person, inmates, classroom
  space, educational materials, and security staff.
  
  In addition, these factors are critical:
  
  o Inmate payments to help cover program costs.
  
  o Linkage to aftercare following inmate's release from jail.
  
  o Program instructors with backgrounds that enable them to connect with
  inmates.
  
  o Selection of inmates appropriate for the program. Special consideration
  should be given to inmates from the local community, enabling staff to
  track them following release from custody.
  
  o Involvement of the inmate's family.
  
  o Emotional and financial cooperation of inmates.
  
  o Training for jail security staff.
  
  o Support from local judges. The placement of an inmate on probation
  following release from custody is highly correlated with the inmate's 
  participation in programs after release.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Lieutenant Michael Laky
  Housing Section Commander
  Ada County Sheriff's Office
  7200 Barrister Drive
  Boise, ID 83704
  Phone: 208-377-6609
  Fax: 208-377-7316
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Illinois: Department of Corrections Sex Offender Treatment Program
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  Sexual victimization is becoming prevalent throughout the Nation. Studies
  have revealed that at least one in five children experience at least one
  incident of sexual victimization. Rape is fast becoming one of society's
  most plaguing problems. Unfortunately, the frequency of sex crimes is
  widely believed to be seriously underestimated. Victims of child
  molestation, rape, incest, and other sexual crimes suffer immediate trauma
  and serious long-range effects. To respond to this crisis, the State of
  Illinois found it imperative to explore the application of recently
  developed therapies to reduce criminal behavior that causes such suffering.
  
  The goals of incarceration include both punishing the offender and
  protecting society. For sex offenders, punishment alone too often is
  unproductive and increases their pathology, leaving these individuals with
  fantasies more deviant than those prior to incarceration. Treatment
  specialists have discovered that such fantasies directly influence sex
  offenders' actions upon release, as demonstrated by their high rate of
  recidivism. Research indicates that sex offenders who are denied treatment
  have between a 50- and 85-percent chance of reoffending, but the odds can
  be radically reduced through intensive, broad-ranged therapy. Estimates
  provided by current research indicate that graduates of sex offender
  treatment programs have only a 15-percent chance of reoffending. A
  Vermont study on the cost effectiveness of sex offender treatment
  concluded that treatment saves taxpayers money. For each offender,
  treatment programs cost one-fifth of prosecuting and sentencing another
  sex crime. The Illinois program will pay for itself if it prevents one in five
  offenders from reoffending. However, the cost of victimization alone
  would seem to justify treatment.
  
  In response to sexual victimization, the need to treat sex offenders, and the
  available research, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)
  implemented a comprehensive sex offender treatment program devised by
  a committee of representatives of all operational divisions in the agency,
  including clinicians experienced in sex offender treatment. In January
  1992, with funding from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information
  Authority, IDOC established its first residential treatment unit for sex
  offenders and began creating a pilot sex offender treatment program for
  parolees. 
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The primary mission of the IDOC Sex Offender Treatment Program is to
  reduce, through treatment, the number of sexual offenses committed each
  year and thereby the number of victims of sexual offenses. For the
  purposes of the program, sex offenders are those inmates committed under
  the sexually dangerous persons law and those who have been criminally
  convicted of a sexual offense but deemed mentally ill. The program
  addresses the needs of sex offenders through the following objectives:
  
  o Offer programs on sexual orientation for a large population of sex
  offenders.
  
  o Identify inmates who need intensive, specialized attention.
  
  o Provide intensive residential treatment that includes the elements
  determined by researchers and experts to be critical to the treatment of sex
  offenders.
  
  o Provide a monitoring system for offender compliance with treatment
  upon release.
  
  Program Components
  
  Nonintensive Sex Offender Programming
  
  Although technically not a component of the Sex Offender Treatment
  Program, nonintensive programming is critical to its success. Of the 26
  adult correctional facilities (maximum, medium, and minimum) that are
  currently part of the program, 24 offer sex offender orientation treatment
  or educational/therapeutic groups, and all of the facilities offer a
  combination of 59 supportive treatment groups. The objectives of these
  programs are to:
  
  o Educate offenders on contemporary sex offender treatment.
  
  o Break down offenders' fears concerning treatment.
  
  o Facilitate positive attitudes toward treatment.
  
  o Dispel myths surrounding treatment.
  
  o Motivate offenders to seek intensive treatment.
  
  o Increase offender awareness of the impact on victims.
  
  Initial Assessment
  
  This component was developed to provide the program with a uniform and
  systematic method of identifying and encouraging qualified inmates to
  invest in their rehabilitation and recovery through intensive sex offender
  treatment. To be accepted into the program, offenders are required to
  submit an application and to be interviewed by a mental health
  professional. A sex offender data collection survey is completed on the
  applicant's offenses, victim history, background, and mental health history.
  From this information, an offender's condition and motivation level can be
  determined. Offenders must also complete a self-report on their behaviors.
  
  If, based on the self-report and the mental health professional assessment,
  an offender is chosen for the program, he or she must sign a contractual
  agreement that spells out the program's requirements.
  
  Intensive Residential Treatment
  
  Having agreed to the contract, offenders are sent to one of three intensive
  residential treatment units currently available in IDOC. In this therapeutic
  environment, therapists assist offenders through a phase-based system that
  focuses on retraining arousal patterns, sex education, relapse prevention,
  and victim empathy. Throughout the phases a variety of recognized
  treatment techniques are applied. For example, inmates develop disgust for
  their deviant behavior through correct sensitization, satiation therapy, and
  noxious odor aversion. After deviant sexual arousal patterns have been
  reduced, misconceptions and irresponsible attitudes related to sexual
  activity are dealt with in a group setting. Group psychotherapy techniques
  are used because they are less costly and more effectively recognize and
  deal with participants' denials and evasions of responsibility. Because most
  offenders lack social skills, the group is designed to be a laboratory for
  learning responsible community living skills. Groups focus on
  victimization issues, relaxation techniques, learning to assert rights
  without being aggressive, getting a more realistic view of the world, sex
  education, and covert conditioning of disgust for deviant sexual acts.
  Additional treatment is provided through psychoeducational modules on a
  variety of themes, modern psychophysiological assessment procedures,
  and individual support sessions as needed.
  
  An offender's progress from one phase to another is not necessarily based
  on his or her ability to recite the information presented, but rather on the
  offender's conceptualization, assimilation, and application of the
  information in accordance with the program's primary motto, "No More
  Victims." Graduation criteria include developing a high level of victim
  empathy, identifying and recognizing one's deviancy, identifying relapse
  conditions and preventing relapse, understanding the concept of honesty
  with oneself and others, and developing a plan for moving successfully
  through life.
  
  Parole Monitoring
  
  The final element of the program combines a strong parole component
  with monitoring of ongoing outpatient treatment. Thus far, it has been
  successfully implemented in one region of the State. All sex offenders,
  whether or not they complete intensive residential treatment, are given the
  opportunity to continue their treatment during parole. A case manager
  meets with an interested offender 6 months before release to determine
  treatment needs. After the offender is released, the case manager provides
  referrals and monitors (with the assistance of the parole agent) the
  offender's compliance with treatment objectives.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  Evaluations of the program's performance are based on the following
  measures:
  
  o The number of inmates enrolled in the program.
  
  o The number of inmates who complete the program.
  
  o The recidivism rate of those who complete the program.
  
  In 1993 and 1994, two extensive annual evaluations of the program were
  conducted. The results of external audit development are as follows:
  
  o 1995--Conducted a survey/program audit of Adult Division out patient
  care counseling and support group services within the 26 adult facilities.
  
  o 1996--The survey/program audit was expanded to the Community
  Services and Juvenile Divisions.
  
  o 1995 to Present--Documentation was added to the survey/program plan
  that monitors monthly the racial makeup of the intensive program
  participants.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  Training. Mental health professionals, facility counselors, and Pre-Start
  (parolee) agents at designated facilities received training from well-known
  clinicians throughout the Nation, and with the opening of each inpatient
  program, the importance of training became apparent. In the training,
  mental health professionals expressed legitimate concerns about
  interacting with and treating sex offenders in a therapeutic environment,
  and some expressed feelings of disgust and personal bias against the target
  population. Many sought assistance on performing in a professional
  manner, given these conditions. A psychoeducational manual was
  developed and distributed to all mental health professionals and support
  staff. This manual helped mental health administrators and counselors
  better prepare their facilities for treating sex offenders.
  
  Clinician Relationships. Administrators of the intensive residential
  programs found that relationships between offenders and sex orientation
  treatment providers were much stronger than expected. They, therefore,
  engaged in intense recruitment, stressing to both offenders and clinicians
  that nonresidential treatment could only go so far and that the residential
  program was in the best interest of the offender. By educating the parties
  about the exact nature of the program and encouraging participation,
  administrators were able to resolve this initial problem. 
  
  Waiting Lists. Overcrowding in the facilities and the high percentage of
  sex offenders seeking treatment made waiting lists for the program
  inevitable. However, program administrators discovered that by making
  offenders more accountable for their actions, double celling was possible,
  thereby reducing waiting lists. Those still remaining on the waiting list
  were provided continuing sex orientation programming.
  
  Racial Imbalance. Early on, a significant racial imbalance in program
  participation (approximately 75 percent white and 25 percent
  African-American) was noted. A number of factors creating this imbalance
  were cited, including African-Americans' traditionally negative attitudes
  toward government-sponsored treatment programs. In response, referral
  processes were implemented, and sex orientation programs worked to
  address some of the issues causing the imbalance.
  
  Voluntary Programming. At present, all of this initiative's group and
  intensive sex offender treatment programs are voluntary. However,
  policymakers and clinicians from outside the facility are calling for the
  program to be made mandatory. Currently, the only incentive to join the
  program is each offender's desire to receive treatment. Most program
  participants are honestly asking for help and are highly motivated to
  change. Administrators indicate that requiring the program for all sex
  offenders would destroy its therapeutic and productive atmosphere,
  creating an environment in which an undercurrent of rebellion and
  disruption, as well as significant breaches of confidence, would exist. To
  dissuade this call for mandatory participation, administrators are learning
  that these problems will make successful implementation of a sex offender
  program difficult.
  
  Community Reaction. Community reaction, frequently an issue of concern
  when correctional programs strive to "treat" offenders, has not been a
  problem for this program. The program has avoided negative community
  reaction by maintaining a low but accountable profile. Interviews are given
  to provide information to a curious, skeptical, and concerned public. 
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  Since its implementation in 1992, the Sex Offender Treatment Program
  has accomplished the following:
  
  o Approximately 2,200 sex offenders have participated.
  
  o Enrollment in intensive residential treatment has increased from 150 to
  250 inmates.
  
  o The program has increasingly utilized risk assessment scales to measure
  participants' success.
  
  o Six regional training/certification symposiums will be held in February
  1998. Invited participants include community-based providers of 
  treatment to sex offenders under the custody/control of IDOC; IDOC
  mental health professionals who treat sex offenders at IDOC adult and
  juvenile facilities and IDOC community-based sex offender treatment
  programs; and IDOC staff responsible for the direct supervision of sex
  offenders. 
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  Since the pilot program began in 1992, the Sex Offender Treatment
  Program has been duplicated at two other Illinois facilities, and IDOC is
  exploring ways to expand the program. Factors to be considered regarding
  the program's replication include:
  
  o Training that reduces judgmental or biased treatment of sex offenders.
  
  o Education throughout the criminal justice system about the nature of  the
  program.
  
  o Voluntary participation.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Linda Dillon
  Superintendent Training Academy
  Illinois Department of Corrections
  1301 Concordia Court
  P.O. Box 9277
  Springfield, IL 62794-9277
  Phone: 217-522-2666, ext. 6605
  Fax: 217-522-2666, ext. 6602
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Iowa: Centralized Substance Abuse Assessment Project--Iowa Medical
  and Classification Center
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  Many offenders entering the prison system have drug or alcohol problems.
  Although all of Iowa's correctional facilities provide some level of
  substance abuse treatment, no actual substance abuse assessments were
  made in the past. Because of this, recommendations for treatment were not
  always made in a consistent manner. Certain programs had long waiting
  lists, whereas others were not used to capacity. Inmates with very different
  treatment needs were often referred to the same program.
  
  In 1993-94, a research and demonstration project undertaken by the Iowa
  Department of Corrections (DOC); the Iowa Department of Public Health,
  Division of Substance Abuse and Health Promotion (IDSA) and Division
  of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning (CJJP); and the Mid-Eastern
  Council on Chemical Abuse (MECCA) led to the establishment of a
  centralized substance abuse assessment unit at the Iowa Medical and
  Classification Center (IMCC). Iowa employs a centralized assessment
  model in determining placement and treatment needs of inmates entering
  the prison system. Upon arrival at IMCC, inmates undergo medical,
  educational, and psychological testing as well as a reception interview.
  The information gathered is used to determine the inmates' appropriate risk
  level and appropriate treatment modalities.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The three primary goals of the centralized assessment project are to assist
  in decreasing criminal recidivism and substance abuse; expedite inmates'
  movement through the institutional system, allowing the most
  advantageous use of treatment resources; and evaluate the effectiveness of
  referrals made by the assessment unit.
  
  Objectives of the project include:
  
  o Assessing all inmates entering IMCC with a 10-year or less sentence.
  
  o Referring inmates to the appropriate level of substance abuse treatment.
  
  o Updating each inmate's treatment summary record on the DOC
  automated information system to enable institutional classification teams
  and the parole board to make appropriate decisions.
  
  o Providing training for institutional treatment staff on how to use the
  assessment instrument.
  
  o Maintaining communication to ensure that the assessment unit is making
  appropriate clinical and placement decisions.
  
  o Establishing a database to collect demographic information and outcome
  effectiveness information.
  
  o Implementing the program's database.
  
  o Producing data reports summarizing treatment needs, referrals, and types
  of treatment recommended.
  
  o Assisting DOC in determining future types of treatment programming.
  
  Both institutional and community treatment providers review data reports
  to determine the need for treatment revision or development.
  
  Program Components
  
  MECCA developed its assessment tool using the criteria contained in the
  IDSA's standardized assessment form, but revised it to reflect the
  characteristics of both the prison population and the treatment available in
  the institutions. To understand treatment needs and resources, MECCA
  and IMCC staff visited all treatment programs in Iowa correctional
  facilities. These visits helped to open lines of communication between
  assessment staff and treatment staff. Close supervision of the assessment
  process has ensured consistent treatment recommendations.
  
  The key elements of the project are reception, evaluation, classification,
  and placement. During the reception period, inmates are interviewed by
  the IMCC assessment staff, who compile substance abuse evaluations
  according to standards set forth by IDSA. These evaluations form the basis
  for recommending the most appropriate treatment for inmates during their
  time in the institution and upon release. Treatment recommendations are
  considered by the classification manager in light of the risk posed by the
  inmate and all information from the inmate's psychological and
  educational profiles. The inmate is then placed in the most appropriate
  institution for the risk and needs indicated. In the first year of the project,
  the substance abuse assessment frequently resulted in placement decisions
  for inmates that differed from those of past years.
  
  Each institution has a classification team. Upon arrival, and then
  periodically throughout incarceration in the institution, each inmate's case
  is reviewed by the classification team to determine appropriate physical
  and programming placements. Specific recommendations for substance
  abuse treatment have been integrated into each team's decisionmaking
  process.
  
  Iowa's State parole board is an autonomous entity. No other department or
  office has jurisdiction over or influence on the parole of inmates. The
  parole board receives all inmate information through its computer system.
  The treatment summary section of this system contains the
  recommendations from the assessment unit. The parole board can then
  expedite the review of inmates who are placed in treatment. The parole
  board has been very supportive of the project and has helped DOC
  determine the predicted parole review dates of inmates in the target
  population, helping classification staff prioritize the placement of inmates
  into limited treatment resources.
  
  Inmates who are released from prison to community-based correctional
  (CBC) programs such as work release or parole are often expected to be
  involved in some level of substance abuse treatment. The centralized
  substance abuse assessment is forwarded to the CBC program for use by
  community-based substance abuse treatment providers.
  
  For the past 5 years, DOC has submitted data indicators to the Governor's
  Alliance on Substance Abuse (GASA) regarding the nature of substance
  abuse needs in the inmate population. Without specific substance abuse
  assessment, these indicators are at best approximations. Aside from
  reporting indicators, data on offender treatment needs can suggest how
  treatment resources should be allocated and how to match offenders to
  treatment approaches that are likely to be effective. The creation of a
  database of treatment records, maintained within Federal confidentiality
  guidelines, is essential to the success of the program. At present, most data
  collection and reporting is accomplished through manual compilation
   supplemented by an existing, limited database system; however, the
  program is in the process of becoming automated.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  The program measures its performance using these indicators:
  
  o Equal utilization of all treatment programs and facilities.
  
  o The length of the waiting lists for admission into treatment programs.
  
  o The number of individuals assessed.
  
  o The level of interagency cooperation between MECCA and DOC staff.
  
  o Demographic information.
  
  o Type of treatment recommendations.
  
  o Results reported in the project's annual report.
  
  o Identification of drug abuse trends.
  
  o Collection of data that identify use patterns, relapse issues, and treatment
  needs.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  As with any new project, the assessment unit had to overcome obstacles
  during the project's implementation. Startup of the project was delayed by
  contract negotiations, hindering the ability of the assessment unit to meet
  its first-year goal of 1,500 assessments. The problem was resolved when
  GASA approved an increase in the assessment staff for the last 3 months
  of the fiscal year.
  
  When the first evaluations began arriving at the institutions for review by
  the classification teams and treatment staff, there were cases in which the
  institutional staff disagreed with the recommendations of the assessment
  team. This issue was resolved by establishing better communication
  between institutional and assessment staff. Institutions are expected to
  follow the MECCA recommendation unless they have a significant reason
  to suggest an alternative. If another suggestion is made, MECCA staff are
  consulted. If clinical agreement cannot be reached, the IMCC treatment
  director and the DOC substance abuse coordinator are consulted to make
  the final decision. To prevent disagreements, MECCA staff have been
  familiarized with prison treatment programs so that they are better versed
  in the services available. Since the implementation of these two actions,
  few assessment recommendations have been disputed.
  
  Another coordination problem, which has always been difficult to solve
  for the institutions, is the need to predict how much of the inmate's
  sentence will be served before the parole board will review his or her case.
  This information is required to ensure that inmates are treated as close as
  possible to the time of release, increasing treatment efficacy and
  establishing community aftercare resources. The problem has been
  resolved somewhat through planning meetings with the coordinator,
  treatment director, and parole board. The board has given DOC a list of
  sentence types and likely sentence lengths. The greatest variable to this
  planning is inmate behavior, but a starting point now exists for
  determining when it is appropriate to place an inmate in a treatment
  program.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  Much of the project's success can be credited to the positive and
  supportive working relationship between MECCA and DOC. In general,
  inmates have cooperated with the evaluation project. Recommendations
  have been based on consistent criteria and have been well received and
  followed by DOC staff. The initial project size has doubled, providing the
  opportunity for an increasing number of inmates to participate in substance
  abuse assessment. Waiting lists in treatment programs have decreased, and
  formerly underutilized programs are now operating at capacity.
  Discussions are under way on how to fill gaps in treatment provision,
  including relapse prevention services and residential treatment at
  minimum security institutions. The project has provided a clear picture of
  the drastic increase in methamphetamine use in the State and identified
  unique problems accompanying the increase. Although there is a desire to
  increase data collection capabilities, the current system has provided
  valuable and relevant information, and this information has been used at a
  variety of programming and policymaking levels. To enhance data
  collection, this project has been awarded an additional GASA grant for the
  purchase of personal computers and software.
  
  More than 1,300 substance abuse assessments were provided by MECCA
  during the project's first year. In FY 1996, 2,800 assessments were
  conducted. In FY 1997, the number increased to 3,500.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  The primary factor in the Centralized Substance Abuse Assessment
  Project's success was the cooperation of multiple systems and disciplines.
  If this level of cooperation can be duplicated, projects of this type in other
  jurisdictions should be able to achieve similar results. In Iowa, substance
  abuse assessment was integrated into DOC's existing structure of
  centralized classification, making the assessment process compatible with
  the environment in which it is used. Finally, the willingness of all
  participants to learn from one another, to be flexible, and to be innovative
  has ensured a comprehensive and consistent approach to treatment
  provision.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Lowell Brandt 
  Treatment Director
  Iowa Medical and Classification Center
  P.O. Box A
  Oakdale, IA 52319
  Phone: 319-626-4473 
  Fax: 319-626-6641
  
  Marie Havel
  Clinical Supervisor
  Mid-Eastern Council on Chemical Abuse
  P.O. Box A
  Oakdale, IA 52319
  Phone: 319-626-2391
  Fax: 319-626-6641
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Iowa: Statewide Substance Abuse Program Coordination in Corrections
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  Substance abuse in the Iowa correctional system is a widespread and
  complex problem at every level of the system. The State's
  community-based corrections (CBC) and institutionalized corrections
  populations are saturated with substance abusers--70 to 80 percent of CBC
  clients use drugs, as do 80 to 85 percent of prison inmates. These
  populations are growing quickly and are too large for effective correctional
  management, let alone management of complicating factors such as
  substance abuse. Iowa correctional institutions currently oversee nearly
  6,000 inmates in space designed for 3,600. Iowa's prison population has
  grown 12 percent annually for the past 3 years, and resources for providing
  substance abuse treatment are extremely limited.
  
  An adversarial relationship exists between the State's CBC and
  community-based substance abuse treatment providers, even though
  community treatment programs receive 65 percent of their referrals from
  CBC. Community- based treatment providers have not responded to
  requests for proposals to establish substance abuse treatment programs in
  prison settings.
  
  At the time this report was written, the State of Iowa had contracted with
  an outside organization to establish managed care for all substance abuse
  services in the public sector. Conventional managed care strategies often
  exclude certain clients in prison populations from admission or
  readmission to needed services. The criteria for exclusion often fall
  dispropor-tionally on the CBC population.
  
  Most significantly, dealing effectively with substance abuse among
  offenders requires dealing with the complexities of the criminal mind--its
  duality (substance abuse and criminal/antisocial personality
  characteristics), resistance to treatment, and chronic, long-term
  dependence on numerous substances. In Iowa, virtually all substance abuse
  programs for offenders were designed for noncriminal clientele. Few
  treatment resources existed for substance-abusing offenders.
  
  These problems limit:
  
  o The availability of treatment.
  
  o Staff tolerance of criminal-addict behavior, resulting in the early
  discharge of many clients who have finally accessed treatment.
  
  o Communication and coordination between CBC, institutions, and
  community treatment providers.
  
  o The efforts of the criminal justice system and community substance
  abuse programs to rehabilitate mutual clients.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The main goal of the Iowa Department of Corrections Substance Abuse
  Program Coordinator is to work with wardens, CBC district directors, the
  Department of Public Health's Division of Substance Abuse and its
  managed care contractor, community-based substance abuse agencies, the
  Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes (TASC) program, and the Iowa
  Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation. More
  specifically, the program is designed to:
  
  o Evaluate and define the extent and nature of the substance abuse
  problem among offenders.
  
  o Establish a discriminating assessment process that matches chemically
  involved offenders to the most effective treatment.
  
  o Develop treatment approaches that are more likely to have an impact on
  resistant, extrinsically motivated clients.
  
  o Work with the managed care contractor to advocate that criminal justice
  clients be admitted to and retained in treatment and to promote that the
  contractor use treatment modalities and levels of care that are effective for
  this population.
  
  o Identify new and existing modalities of treatment that will offer several
  tiers of treatment at varying levels of intensity within the criminal justice
  system.
  
  o Ensure that qualified individuals operate substance abuse programs.
  
  o Identify and pursue additional funding while maintaining present
  resources.
  
  o Coordinate the communication network among institutions/CBC, the
  Iowa Division of Substance Abuse, and public/private community
  treatment agencies.
  
  Program Components
  
  The program is designed to coordinate available interventions as well as
  develop new interventions to meet the needs of offenders with substance
  abuse problems. The program seeks to reduce the likelihood that offenders
  will continue criminal behavior after their release from the criminal justice
  system.
  
  The program is administered by a coordinator within the Administration
  Division of the Department of Corrections. His duties include working
  closely with all Iowa State correctional institutions, the eight CBC
  districts, all TASC programs, the Governor's Substance Abuse Prevention
  and Education Council, the Drug and Violent Crime Commission, the
  statewide and eight local corrections/substance abuse task forces, the
  Division of Substance Abuse in the Iowa Department of Public Health, the
  Iowa Board of Substance Abuse Certification, the Center for Substance
  Abuse Treatment and the Criminal Justice Branch in the U.S. Department
  of Health and Human Services, community-based substance abuse
  treatment agencies, and the Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse
  Research and Evaluation.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  The program's expected results include:
  
  o Networking the eight TASC programs statewide.
  
  o Establishing a licensed substance abuse treatment program in each of the
  State's eight correctional institutions.
  
  o Improving communication and coordination between CBC and
  community substance abuse staff and reducing service duplication.
  
  o Implementing new approaches to substance abuse treatment in
  correctional programs.
  
  o Improving the qualifications of counselors currently working in
  correctional treatment programs to serve as substance abuse counselors.
  
  o Reducing waiting lists for substance abuse treatment.
  
  o Realizing cost benefits for all parties involved.
  
  o Responding to requests for proposals for funding to facilitate these goals.
  
  The overall expectation was that the treatment system for criminal justice
  clients would improve; gaps in programming would close; adversarial staff
  of other programs would work together; and these programs would better
  accomplish their missions.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  The biggest obstacle to program implementation dealt with conflicts
  between community corrections and community substance abuse staff over
  fundamental treatment issues: the effectiveness of substance abuse
  treatment for offenders; whether offenders' paramount problem was mental
  illness, behavioral maladaptation, criminality, immorality, or a primary
  disease; where and by whom the offender would be most effectively
  treated; and how resources should be distributed. As a result, the groups'
  common purpose was overlooked and treatment in the State's prisons
  suffered. The conflicts led to the formation of a task force through which
  the program coordinator, with the Director of the State Division of
  Substance Abuse, established a plan of action to resolve disputes between
  community corrections and substance abuse staff.
  
  Adding to the difficulties, shortly after implementation, State budget cuts
  and layoffs reduced the size and number of treatment programs in State
  prisons, lowered staff morale, and reduced the operating budgets of
  programs not specifically targeted by the cuts. During the coordinator's
  first 9 months on the job, funding and staffing levels in prison treatment
  programs dropped dramatically. However, none of the treatment programs
  closed, and all of the State's original programs eventually expanded
  beyond their initial capacity. At the time of program implementation, 4 of
  the licensed programs were funded at 75 percent of capacity through
  grants. However, through the lobbying efforts of the coordinator and the
  programs' good reputation, all were funded by State appropriations when
  their grants expired.
  
  The State personnel system, which handles all State employees, further
  complicated implementation. Although substance abuse professionals are
  commonly considered to be clinical staff with specific education and
  training needs, the personnel department felt that these requirements were
  unnecessary, resulting in a severely deficient applicant pool from which
  the program was required to interview and hire. Official protests did not
  improve the situation, but merely delayed filling positions by 6 months.
  Institutions anxious to fill vacancies often rushed to hire unqualified
  individuals. Furthermore, the collective bargaining agreement in effect for
  employees at the institutions prohibited the coordinator from changing
  minimum qualifications listed for substance abuse professionals. In
  response, the coordinator enlisted the support of the Governor's Alliance
  on Substance Abuse and the Director of the State Division of Substance
  Abuse to encourage the Iowa Department of Personnel to establish a new
  "advanced " substance abuse professional position that would apply only
  to corrections institutions and require applicants to be certified by the Iowa
  Board of Substance Abuse.
  
  The current challenge to the program is managed care. Iowa is in the
  process of moving to private managed care for all publicly funded
  substance abuse treatment. Concerns over the use of a managed care
  system revolve around three issues: Will resistant and unmotivated clients
  be able to access treatment? Will people with a history of multiple
  treatment experiences be able to access treatment? Will there ultimately be
  a cost shift from publicly funded community-based treatment to jail- and
  prison-based treatment?
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  The program has achieved numerous advances in substance abuse
  treatment for offenders in Iowa. Although these advances were facilitated
  by the coordinator, they are largely due to the efforts and cooperation of
  the key agencies involved. 
  
  Savings. The time offenders spent on waiting lists for substance abuse
  treatment dropped from 6 months to 1 week, and the centralized
  coordination of the program resulted in significant financial savings for the
  system. Both aspects made the system more user friendly for offenders.
  
  The 5-Year Plan. The coordinator created a publication, The Role of
  Substance Abuse Treatment in Corrections, that discusses the duality of
  criminality and the disease of addiction, and how they work together in the
  chemically addicted criminal. The document proposes that the initial
  course of action for the correctional system must be to establish a seamless
  continuum of intervention for offenders.
  
  The Joint Business Plan. The Department of Corrections and the Division
  of Substance Abuse developed a business plan to resolve numerous shared
  issues and needs. The majority of the goals listed in the business plan were
  accomplished.
  
  Centralized Assessment. The first step in achieving a continuum of
  intervention in the Iowa prison system was establishing a centralized
  assessment process at the reception center. With this new process, the
  classification manager has information on the substance abuse treatment
  needs of inmates before they are classified and assigned to an institution.
  Inmates can be matched to the most appropriate treatment based on their
  history, risk level, and so on. Future funding requests for centralized
  assessment has been built into the State's budget request process.
  
  Institutional Treatment. Four prison-based treatment programs existed
  when the coordinator program was implemented. There are now seven
  licensed treatment programs--one at each of the State's general population
  institutions. These programs include a variety of approaches to treatment
  as well as varying levels of intensity. Six of the programs were initiated
  through grant funding. Through the lobbying efforts of the coordinator, all
  seven programs are now funded by State appropriations.
  
  Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes Program. When the coordinator
  program began, the TASC program had been piloted in three of the State's
  eight judicial districts. TASC has since expanded into a $1.2 million
  statewide program using grants the coordinator helped to secure and
  became the largest substance abuse pilot project ever approved for funding
  by the Iowa legislature.
  
  Coordination is a key element of the TASC program. Each judicial district
  is autonomous, with its own director and board of directors. The
  coordinator established a TASC accreditation process through which
  resource utilization, productivity, and program outcome are evaluated
  every 2 years. Because the Department of Corrections controls the funding
  for TASC, the individual programs must comply with accreditation
  standards to continue operating. The coordinator holds quarterly meetings
  with TASC supervisors and annual or biannual meetings with all TASC
  staff. The program has been well received by the State's justice and
  substance abuse treatment systems.
  
  Violator Program. Two institutions in Iowa house male and female
  violators of probation/parole and work-release program rules. The
  coordinator was asked to design and implement a culturally sensitive
  program, known as the Violator Program, to serve these institutions. The
  program, which provides offenders a 60-day residential stay followed by a
  5- to 8-month community-based program, combines substance abuse
  relapse treatment with cognitive skills programming. At the 30-bed
  institution for women, the program includes the core subjects described
  above as well as a number of services specific to women. The 75-bed
  men's facility also offers services that are gender specific. The Violator
  Aftercare Program is the community-based portion of the effort, providing
  close community monitoring and weekly group sessions. The sessions are
  offered for 20 weeks, but can be extended on an individual basis. A 4-year,
  grant-funded evaluation by the Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse
  Research and Evaluation has recently been completed. Results are not yet
  available.
  
  Counselor Training Program. When the coordinator program began, a
  number of counselors working in Iowa's correctional substance abuse
  treatment programs were not sufficiently qualified for their positions.
  Personnel issues and the policy of promoting correctional officers to
  correctional counselors had produced these staffing inadequacies. To
  address the training needs of staff members, the coordinator implemented
  a program to prepare staff for Correctional Substance Abuse Counselor
  Certification (IBSAC). The program offers 120 of the 130 hours required
  for certification, forcing staff members to obtain some training from
  outside sources. Many of the 30 counselors who participated in the
  program received counselor certification.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  The prospects for replicating this program are excellent. Every State has
  key agencies similar to those in this project, and prior interagency
  cooperation is not a prerequisite. No precedent for such cooperation
  existed in Iowa before this program was implemented. The program's
  approach is a relatively inexpensive way to leverage additional resources
  for correctional substance abuse and to maximize resources already in
  place. Support from corrections personnel, administrators, and an advisory
  group to help establish priorities for substance abuse intervention
  development will enhance the program's success. The coordinator should
  have extensive experience in the substance abuse intervention field,
  negotiating skills and the ability to be both diplomatic and assertive, strong
  writing skills and experience applying for grants, and good training skills.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Darlene Baugh
  Community Corrections Service Representative
  Iowa Department of Corrections
  523 East 12th Street, Capitol Annex
  Des Moines, IA 50319
  Phone: 515-281-4811
  Fax: 515-281-4062
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Kansas: Chemical Dependency Correctional Counseling Program
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  The four northeastern Kansas counties--Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, and
  Nemaha--are typical of rural counties. Their population totals 41,233
  people. The region's predominant industry is agriculture. Personal and
  family incomes are lower than national and State averages, as are new
  housing starts and land values.
  
  A number of risk factors in these counties have an impact on crime and
  substance abuse. The Chemical Dependency Correctional Counseling
  Program was developed to address these risk factors and to serve as a
  protective factor for communities in this region.
  
  The risk factors identified by the program are based on studies that
  compared empirical field data for this area of Kansas with data for the
  entire State. The field data present a picture of an area in great need of
  protective factors. The risk factors are:
  
  o A higher than average number of families receiving Aid to Families
  With Dependent Children payments.
  
  o A higher than average juvenile arrest rate.
  
  o A higher than average number of persons receiving general assistance
  welfare payments.
  
  o A dramatic rise in local crime rates over the past 10 years.
  
  o A higher than average rate of disorderly conduct cases.
  
  o A higher than average rate of driving under the influence, vandalism,
  and drug arrests.
  
  o A higher than average rate of unemployment.
  
  o A higher than average rate of renter-occupied housing units.
  
  o A higher than average rate of population mobility.
  
  o A higher than average rate of persons reporting a family history of
  alcohol or other drug abuse.
  
  o A higher than average rate of children reporting that someone in their
  household uses illegal drugs.
  
  o A higher than average rate of school absenteeism and dropouts (in one of
  the four counties).
  
  Before this program was implemented, chemical dependency counseling
  services were provided to inmates of local jails on a crisis basis. Law
  enforcement and mental health professionals, however, wanted more
  intensive services for inmates. The sheriff of Brown County and the chief
  executive officer of the KANZA Mental Health and Guidance Center, Inc.,
  worked together to secure a grant that funded the Chemical Dependency
  Correctional Counseling Program. Sheriffs from the other three counties
  collaborated on developing the program.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The main goal of the program is to provide chemical dependency recovery
  counseling to inmates residing in Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, and Nemaha
  County jail facilities. A secondary goal is to provide consultation and
  training to law enforcement, dispatch, and jail personnel concerning the
  inmates' behavioral health. Although there are no quantified data for the
  number of consultations and in-services provided to these personnel
  during the program's first year, the certified chemical dependency
  counselor formally and informally carried out these duties every week.
  
  Program Components
  
  The program's two components create a strong link between mental health
  services and law enforcement and corrections agencies in the area. One
  component is the KANZA Mental Health and Guidance Center, Inc., a
  licensed, nonprofit mental health and chemical dependency center serving
  the four counties. The other is the chemical dependency counseling
  program, which employs one full-time chemical dependency counselor
  who travels to the four county jails weekly, providing counseling to
  inmates and consultations to law enforcement staff. Approximately 10 to
  15 percent of the counselor's time is spent with jail staff. The counselor is
  at each institution on specific days. If a crisis occurs at any of the
  institutions, he or she has the flexibility to rearrange his or her schedule to
  respond. In addition, a therapist from the KANZA Mental Health and
  Guidance Center is on call 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. 
  
  Inmates are referred to the program by the head jailer, law enforcement
  officers, the sheriff, the client's attorney, family members, or self-referral.
  On average, inmates stay in the program for 14 sessions. Inmates are
  treated by KANZA Mental Health and Guidance Center staff and are
  afforded the same services as mental health clients in the community. All
  services are paid for by the county. After inmates are released from jail,
  however, they are responsible for the fees. When appropriate, the
  counselor treats family members or refers them to the KANZA Mental
  Health and Guidance Center for service.
  
  When an inmate is discharged from the program, the chemical dependency
  counselor completes a Treatment Success Measure survey describing the
  client's achievements in the program. The survey's criteria are different for
  each of the four types of clients served by the program: chemically
  addicted, psychologically dependent, codependent, and adult and minor
  children of alcoholics and drug abusers.
  
  To successfully complete treatment, a chemically addicted client must
  meet three of the following four criteria:
  
  o Reports abstinence from chemicals during treatment period.
  
  o Reports attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous or similar meetings during
  treatment period.
  
  o Is able to discuss the disease of addiction and its concepts.
  
  o Reports satisfactory achievement of other counseling goals.
  
  A psychologically dependent client must meet four of the following
  six criteria:
  
  o Can discuss his or her chemical use and the degree to which that use is
  interfering in various aspects of his or her life.
  
  o Can identify self-defeating behaviors and express ways to reduce them.
  
  o Reports abstinence from chemicals during the treatment period.
  
  o Can discuss the disease of chemical abuse and its concepts.
  
  o Reports attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous or similar meetings as
  needed during treatment.
  
  o Reports satisfactory achievement of other counseling goals.
  
  A codependent client must meet four of the following six criteria:
  
  o Can discuss the disease of addiction or abuse and its concepts.
  
  o Can discuss the ways in which another person's chemical abuse or
  addiction has affected his or her life.
  
  o Can identify self-defeating behaviors and express ways to reduce them.
  
  o Reports making plans for self-improvement.
  
  o Reports using self-help groups as needed or as available during
  treatment.
  
  o Reports satisfactory achievement of other counseling goals.
  
  An adult or minor child of an alcoholic or drug abuser must meet three of
  the following nine criteria:
  
  o Reports decreased fear or anger.
  
  o Reports increased self-esteem.
  
  o Understands the effect of chemicals on family or self.
  
  o Displays increased self-expression.
  
  o Can evaluate his or her addiction or dependency.
  
  o Displays an increased level of trust.
  
  o Understands his or her feelings.
  
  o Knows how to meet his or her own needs.
  
  o Can identify his or her addiction or dependency.
  
  Successful completion was defined as the inmate's level of cooperation
  and willingness to engage the counselor during sessions. It does not imply
  continued sobriety.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  The goal for the program's first-year completion rate was 60 percent, and
  this goal was exceeded. Completion rates in the program's second and
  third years were 97 and 89.5 percent, respectively. Benefits to inmates, law
  enforcement personnel, and the mental health center are expected to
  continue. To measure the program's performance, a survey instrument was
  developed that studied the program's impact in a variety of areas, including
  recidivism rates of treated inmates versus those of untreated inmates.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  A source of revenue from the program's counseling activities was
  overlooked during the first year of operation. The four local county jails
  house contract prisoners from counties outside the mental health center's
  catchment area, and an opportunity to bill these counties for counseling
  services was missed. The billings are estimated to be worth only $5,000
  annually, but this sum would meet a large portion of the mental health
  center's required matching funds.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  The mental health center directly attributes the following results to the
  program:
  
  o The mental health center receives fewer crisis calls from jails.
  
  o Jail personnel perceive a partnership with the counselor and feel more
  comfortable with prisoners who have behavioral health problems.
  
  o Inmates are less agitated by pent-up personal problems, and they
  perceive a link to the outside.
  
  o Jail personnel distinguish between real and manufactured inmate mental
  health crises. 
  
  o The mental health center's value to the counties has increased.
  
  o Contacts between law enforcement and mental health center personnel
  concerning matters such as civil commitments and suicide calls have
  become more positive.
  
  During its first year, the program served 54 individuals. Of these clients,
  52 were male and 2 were female; 36 were white, 12 were Native
  American, and 6 were African-American. Clients ranged in age from 19 to
  74 years; the average age was 32 years. Inmates' rate of successful
  completion while incarcerated was 38.4 percent. This figure increases if
  the completion rate includes inmates who continue treatment after release
  to the community.
  
  From July 1994 to June 1995, 65 individuals participated in the program,
  with a high percentage continuing treatment after incarceration. From July
  1995 to June 1996, 79 participated, and from July 1996 to June 1997, 61
  did so. Prior to this project, the region lacked a formal means to arrange
  postincarceration treatment.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  Replication of the program is relatively simple. Financing, however, will
  be a challenge for each local area. The program is financed through
  Federal, State, and local funds, a combination that should be sought by
  other jurisdictions attempting replication. As with most new programs,
  obtaining matching funds is the key, and billing other counties for inmates
  from areas outside the program's catchment area will help meet this match.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Bill D. Persinger, Jr.
  Chief Executive Officer
  KANZA Mental Health and Guidance Center, Inc.
  P.O. Box 319
  909 South Second Street
  Hiawatha, KS 66434
  Phone: 913-742-7113
  Fax: 913-742-3085
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Kentucky: Integrated Programming for Female Offenders
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  Dismas Charities in Owensboro, Kentucky, is a 100-bed private
  community center and prison for female offenders. Results of informal
  studies of the client population at Dismas Charities are startling. Residents
  of the prison come from violent, abusive homes that lack structure,
  appropriate guidance, and a nurturing environment. The majority of
  women at the facility have been abused by their parents and their
  boyfriends or spouses. It is clear that many women learned poor parenting
  skills from their parents. They lack understanding of the proper use of
  discipline, the nature of parent-child relationships, the management of
  problem behaviors among children, and other parenting issues. Without
  intervention, residents will likely pass on these parenting deficiencies.
  Many continue to deal with issues of abuse, and several report engaging in
  abusive behavior with their own children.
  
  Most residents at the facility were convicted of offenses related to alcohol
  and other drug abuse. Returning these women to their homes without
  addressing their drug and alcohol dependencies makes it difficult for them
  to change the destructive aspects of their lives. If dependency issues
  continue to plague them, they will not be able to find or keep jobs or
  manage their families effectively.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The program's goals are to assess programming needs for female
  offenders, successfully reintegrate female offenders into society, reduce
  their recidivism rates, reduce the rate of incarceration among the offenders'
  children, and empower female offenders to become economically
  independent, productive citizens and parents. To accomplish these goals,
  the program uses an integrated approach to treatment that addresses all
  aspects of their lives.
  
  Program objectives include:
  
  o Educating residents about parenting issues in incarceration.
  
  o Developing job skills to establish independence.
  
  o Providing onsite supervised visitation of children during incarceration.
  
  o Providing onsite counseling for problems that prevent residents from
  reentering society, holding a job, and managing their families.
  
  o Offering materials that teach inmates how to be better parents.
  
  Program Components
  
  Family-Oriented Programming
  
  The program's 8-week parenting course strives to reunite families.
  Education in developing parenting skills includes both group education
  and individual counseling sessions. Parenting skills are key elements in the
  program: The women make a commitment to being good parents who
  want to do more for their children. The program teaches participants to
  take a strong positive role in their family. If individuals are strong parents
  and provide a structured environment, both parent and child benefit.
  Enhancing parenting skills leads to lower recidivism rates and lower
  probability that children of participants will enter the criminal justice
  system. Counseling staff at the Dismas program's Family Resource Center
  work with residents to develop a support network for them in the areas of
  substance abuse, education, and work experience. The counselors develop
  a relationship with the schools their clients' children attend, for example,
  and a Girl Scouts Behind Bars Program has been started that allows
  mothers and daughters to meet together at the center. Mothers receive
  leadership training, and daughters are active in a troop in their community.
  Another family program, Camp Dismas, brings children to the center each
  month to give them and their mothers an opportunity to build stronger
  relationships.
  
  Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment
  
  A full-time counselor uses group and individual counseling sessions to
  address all areas of substance abuse and codependency. Narcotics
  Anonymous groups meet each week to discuss narcotics addiction and its
  consequences. Substance abuse is strictly monitored, and staff administer
  approximately 850 tests for alcohol and other drugs each month. In
  addition, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings are held at the center
  weekly, and residents are sponsored by AA members from their home
  areas. These sponsors support residents on furlough and after they have
  been released from the program.
  
  Counseling
  
  The facility has three counselors on staff to provide counseling services to
  residents. These services include family counseling for all or part of the
  residents' families, and counselors focus on preparing residents to return to
  their families. Group and individual sessions are conducted for residents
  who have been sexually abused, and victims of domestic violence are
  offered biweekly group and individual counseling. All residents entering
  the program are required to take a 6-week course on controlling anger.
  
  Education 
  
  General Equivalency Diploma (GED) classes are offered by the
  Owensboro City School System in coordination with the Longfellow Adult
  Learning Center. Opportunities for a higher education are available
  through the Owensboro Community College and private colleges in the
  community. A literacy program is offered onsite by VISTA volunteers and
  the Longfellow Adult Learning Center to residents who need additional
  skills to obtain their GED.
  
  Vocational Education and Experience
  
  The program uses skills testing and evaluations to determine residents'
  vocational needs. A mandatory work program assigns residents to work in
  the community. Government-funded agencies and nonprofit organizations
  provide assistance in areas the program is unable to fund. Residents work
  approximately 9,000 hours per month.
  
  Religion
  
  Nondenominational religious services conducted by church leaders in the
  community are available to residents. The services are conducted twice a
  year.
  
  Arts and Crafts
  
  To give residents an opportunity to enjoy a creative hobby, volunteers
  from the community offer arts and crafts activities at the center.
  
  Volunteer Advisory Board
  
  The center's Volunteer Advisory Board comprises 15 community leaders
  who volunteer to help staff develop additional programming and meet the
  needs of the center.
  
  Medical
  
  Nursing services are available to meet residents' immediate medical needs
  and to educate them about women's health issues.
  
  Halfway Back
  
  When appropriate, the program seeks community-based sanctions for
  offenders because they provide intensive accountability and treatment in
  lieu of prison. Referrals are made to Halfway Back by parole officers for a
  period of 30 to 120 days.
  
  Tracking
  
  Residents are evaluated when they begin and complete the program and
  then tracked for 5 years to determine the program's effectiveness.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  A long-term study of the Dismas program will assess its impact on the
  lives of participants. The study includes a survey of participants about the
  program and tracks recidivism rates after residents are released. More
  specifically, the survey will investigate whether:
  
  o The program changes residents' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors
  about parenting. 
  
  o Residents believe that they possess the skills to be effective parents.
  
  o Residents believe that they are emotionally equipped to be effective
  parents.
  
  o Residents leave the program with greater self-confidence.
  
  o Residents know that they are having a significant impact on their
  children's lives and that their children need them.
  
  o Residents learn strategies to enhance their children's growth.
  
  o Residents understand the importance of education.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  Building credibility for the Dismas program was difficult. As time passed,
  however, the program became increasingly recognized and accepted. The
  program faces financial constraints, but aggressively pursues funding
  activities to ensure an adequate level of staffing and programming efforts.
  Finally, the program's family-oriented activities have been hindered by
  commuting difficulties of some families. In response, the program began
  providing transportation services, and the center's executive director
  persuaded the city to offer bus service near its facilities.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  Although the long-term study of program effectiveness is not yet complete
  (the third year of the examination of the program concluded June 30,
  1997), both anecdotal evidence and objective measures suggest that the
  program is accomplishing its goals. More than 300 women have
  completed the pretest portion of the study, and 185 participants have
  finished the posttest portion. The program is corresponding with 144
  women who have left Dismas. Thus far, the data indicate that the program
  is having a significant positive impact on the following:
  
  o Inmates' belief that they have the skills to be effective parents.
  
  o Inmates' belief that they are emotionally equipped to be effective parents.
  
  o Inmates' confidence in their ability to be effective parents despite having
  been incarcerated.
  
  o Inmates' knowledge that they are important to the well-being of their
  children and that their children need them.
  
  o Inmates' belief that they know specific strategies to enhance their
  children's growth.
  
  o Inmates' belief that education is important for their children.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  Replicating this program requires strong community relations, a location
  in a city or business district, patience, positive attitudes, and a committed
  staff.
  
  Contact Information
  
  William Gesser
  Director
  Dismas Charities, Inc.
  530 Carlton Drive
  Owensboro, KY 42303
  Phone: 502-685-6054 or 4712
  Fax: 502-685-0081
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Massachusetts: Stress Reduction and Awareness Training in Corrections
  and the Criminal Justice System
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  The origins of criminal behavior are related to an inadequate ability to deal
  effectively with severe stress, deprivation, and low self-esteem. Lack of
  development in this area, including lack of moral development, abnormal
  states of mind, and strong negative feelings such as fear, frustration, anger,
  hatred, and greed can quickly lead to overt aggressive and violent
  behavior. This causal chain is severely compounded by use of alcohol and
  other drugs, which impair or completely eliminate normal levels of
  awareness and impulse control. Social forces such as peer pressure and
  codes of behavior exhibited by certain groups such as gangs magnify this
  problem. 
  
  Maladaptive human development leading to criminal behavior can be
  corrected in some individuals, however, through intensive stress reduction
  training and strong social and environmental reinforcement. The core of
  mindfulness-based stress reduction is intensive training in
  moment-to-moment awareness (mindfulness). The regular practice of
  meditation and mindful stretching can help individuals discover unrealized
  inner capabilities to feel good without the use of drugs or other chemical
  substances. 
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The overall goal of this initiative, which is operated jointly by the
  Massachusetts Department of Corrections (DOC), a treatment vendor, and
  the University of Massachusetts Medical Center (UMMC), is to develop a
  comprehensive plan for implementing and maintaining mindfulness-based
  stress reduction training programs in the Massachusetts corrections,
  criminal justice, and law enforcement systems. The initiative's specific
  objectives are to design and implement:
  
  o A training program with a professional staff capable of conducting stress
  reduction programs in correctional environments.
  
  o A stress reduction program for offenders and Massachusetts DOC
  professional staff.
  
  o A stress reduction program for law enforcement officers in training.
  
  o Research and evaluation components.
  
  Long-term objectives for these programs include giving inmates greater
  opportunities for learning, growth, and self-development; reducing
  recidivism rates of released inmates; and limiting addictive and impulsive
  behaviors. Long-term objectives for DOC staff and law enforcement
  personnel include improving communication skills, job satisfaction, home
  life, and quality of life, as well as eliminating addictive and impulsive
  behaviors.
  
  Program Components
  
  Project Team Planning, Development, and Implementation
  
  The model for the State's stress reduction programs was developed by staff
  members from the State DOC, the treatment vendor, and UMMC. The
  team created a plan to implement the program in the State's corrections,
  criminal justice, and law enforcement systems. 
  
  Teacher Training Program
  
  The teacher development training program supports experienced and new
  teachers. The program offers teacher supervision, onsite supervision, and
  site visits to assess program effectiveness.
  
  Offender Stress Reduction Programs
  
  Stress reduction classes for offenders are held twice a week for 6 to 8
  weeks. The classes are offered at five medium security, one
  minimum security, and one prerelease security DOC sites.
  
  Offender Orientations
  
  Program orientations are held every 6 to 8 weeks. During these sessions,
  preprogram and postprogram evaluations are administered to inmates.
  
  Staff Stress Reduction Programs
  
  Stress reduction classes for criminal justice staff, conducted by DOC and
  vendor staff, are held at DOC training facilities once a week for 8 weeks.
  Preprogram and postprogram evaluations are administered to program
  participants before the first class and after the eighth class.
  
  Project Teaching Staff Meetings
  
  At each DOC facility, weekly meetings are held to discuss the situation at
  each site, offer support to instructors, facilitate efficient gathering of data,
  and troubleshoot problems. These meetings are attended by instructors and
  project management staff.
  
  Treatment Team Meetings
  
  Meetings are held as needed to discuss the status of the program, inmates,
  and support team members.The team comprises DOC corrections officers
  and treatment and classification staff, vendor representatives, and UMMC
  staff.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  Performance measures for the program include:
  
  o Subjective and objective tests such as the Profile of Moods (POMS),
  Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Orientation to Life,
  and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory to measure individual progress.
  
  o Compliance and attendance levels.
  
  o Behavior changes such as hostility and violence reduction, impulse
  control, awareness of mood states, positive attitudes and behaviors, stress
  management, and a sense of coherence.
  
  Performance measures for inmates include long-term behavior changes
  such as reduced recidivism and drug-seeking behaviors and increased
  positive attitudes and behaviors, as well as increased use of opportunities
  for learning, growth, and self-development.
  
  Individual performance measures for DOC, vendor, and criminal justice
  staff are improvements in communication skills, job satisfaction, home
  life, and quality of life and reductions in addictive and impulsive
  behaviors.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  Several vendors managing the treatment units originally viewed the
  program as recreational and did not take its objectives seriously. For
  example, they were unwilling to schedule time for participants to attend
  classes or to practice stress reduction techniques. This lack of support and
  cooperation had a negative impact on the program's implementation and
  operation.
  
  In July 1994, the Massachusetts DOC selected Spectrum Addictions
  Incorporated to run all of the program units. The philosophy of treatment
  within the DOC treatment units changed, and the focus of treatment
  shifted from substance abuse to criminogenic behavior. Within this new
  model, the holistic health component (including stress reduction) became a
  mandatory component of the treatment paradigm. 
  
  Another obstacle was the inability of program participants to practice
  stress reduction activities outside the classroom. An important component
  of the program requires each participant to practice the activities outside of
  class 45 to 60 minutes per day. Audiotapes are provided to aid in this
  process, but inmates were not permitted access to audiotape players. To
  overcome this obstacle, the program was modified. The number of classes
  increased from one to two per week, and arrangements were made for the
  group to practice three times per week using the audiotapes set up in a
  classroom.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  The Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts introduced
  a mindfulness-based stress reduction training program into the
  Massachusetts corrections and criminal justice systems between 1992 and
  1996. Nearly 2,000 inmates participated in at least 1 of the 120 program
  cycles at 6 Massachusetts DOC sites, including 1 women's facility, 1
  minimum security facility for men, and 4 medium security facilities for
  men. A similar program was provided to approximately 200 DOC staff
  members. 
  
  Of those inmates who began the program, 69 percent met the criteria for
  program completion (i.e., attended more than 80 percent of the cycle's
  sessions), 40 percent attended 100 percent of the sessions, and 82 percent
  attended more than 50 percent of the sessions. Data from the more than
  1,000 participants who completed preprogram and postprogram
  questionnaires measuring hostility, self-esteem, sense of coherence, and
  mood disturbance are being analyzed.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  The prospects for replicating this program are excellent if the following
  criteria are met: a teaching staff with a solid grounding in mindfulness
  meditation, orientation and ongoing training of the teaching staff within
  the correctional environment, and strong support for mindfulness-based
  intervention from DOC management and the treatment team.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Michael A. Bratt
  Director of Research
  Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society
  University of Massachusetts Medical Center
  55 Lake Avenue North
  Worcester, MA 01655-0267
  Phone: 508-856-1205
  Fax: 508-856-1977
  
  -------------------------------
  
  New York: Taconic Correctional Facility Nursery Program
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  Since 1901, the State of New York has operated a nursery program in the
  New York State Reformatory for Women. The program is located at the
  Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a maximum security facility for
  women. In 1930, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation
  allowing women in prisons and reformatories to keep their infants, up to
  12 months of age, with them while they served their sentences. In some
  instances, the legislation allowed infants to stay with their mothers until 18
  months of age. Over the years, it became evident that the 24-bed nursery at
  Bedford Hills Correctional Facility could not handle the increasing
  numbers of pregnant women committed to the New York Department of
  Corrections. The female inmate population began to increase after 1985
  due to the large number of women with substance abuse problems being
  sentenced to felony terms. As a result, the number of pregnant inmates in
  the system also increased. The waiting list for nursery beds continued to
  grow, and the Department faced a pressing need to create an additional
  nursery program. By 1990, 22 pregnant women at Bedford Hills awaited
  entry into the nursery program, and an additional 14 pregnant women
  awaited transfer to Bedford Hills from local jails.
  
  Many of the pregnant women in the New York correctional system,
  especially those committed for drug offenses, did not require a maximum
  security facility. Instead, a nursery program in a medium security facility
  was needed to address the needs of female inmates with substance abuse
  histories who give birth while incarcerated. Taconic Correctional Facility
  was chosen for the new nursery program in 1990.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The goals of the program are to develop a nursery program at a medium
  security facility, create additional nursery space to serve incarcerated
  women with drug-dependency problems, and provide substance abuse
  treatment services in conjunction with education in parenting skills.
  
  The program was implemented with the following objectives:
  
  o Establish and operate a nursery program at the Taconic Correctional
  Facility.
  
  o Provide drug counseling services for incarcerated mothers identified as
  substance abusers.
  
  o Evaluate, monitor, and treat babies born to mothers with histories of
  substance abuse.
  
  o Teach parenting skills to and improve family relationships of
  incarcerated mothers. 
  
  o Increase the likelihood that released participants will lead drug-free
  lives, thereby reducing recidivism.
  
  Program Components
  
  Staffing
  
  The nursery at the Taconic facility received funding to provide staff to
  work exclusively in the nursery program. The staff included a nursery
  manager, pediatric nurses, a Comprehensive Alcohol and Substance Abuse
  Treatment (CASAT) counselor, additional correctional officers, and a
  psychologist.
  
  Screening
  
  The following screening procedure was implemented for all prospective
  nursery program participants. Inmates with drug-dependency problems
  submit an application to the nursery counselor. The counselor summarizes
  the case and makes a recommendation, which is reviewed by three deputy
  superintendents. Approval is based on the inmate's ability to benefit from
  the nursery experience. Denials can be appealed to the superintendent of
  the Taconic facility. Inmates who have babies in the local county
  correctional nursery program may also apply if they are sentenced to the
  State prison system.
  
  Policymaking and Decisionmaking Committee
  
  Each month, the Nursery Interdisciplinary Committee meets to address
  operational problems, make policy changes, and discuss any cases of
  participant maladjustment. The committee comprises the deputy
  superintendents of security, program services, and administrative services
  and the nursery manager, counselor, psychologist, and nurse administrator.
  
  Comprehensive Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment
  
  Taconic Correctional Facility is the only female correctional facility in
  New York that operates the CASAT program. Authorized by the State
  legislature, this drug treatment program provides a continuum of treatment
  beginning in the correctional facility and continuing after an offender's
  release into the community. Nursery participants are required to participate
  in CASAT.
  
  Parenting Curriculum
  
  The parenting program consists of mother's groups, child development
  classes, maternal/child health workshops, community meetings, and
  special seminars with outside speakers.
  
  Public Health Nurse
  
  Although not formally part of the nursery staff, a public health nurse is
  provided by the Westchester County Department of Health to conduct
  biweekly prenatal and postpartum health classes for pregnant women and
  nursery mothers.
  
  Psychologist Services
  
  The psychologist assigned to the nursery meets with nursery mothers
  individually. Other services include psychological assessments and
  individual and group psychotherapy.
  
  Medical Care
  
  Medical staff provide the following services: primary health care to all
  babies; monitoring of growth and development using the Baley Scales of
  Infant Development; referrals to specialty clinics; selection and
  procurement of educational materials; education and counseling for
  mothers; development of clinical protocols; pediatrician visits; and infant
  CPR training for inmates and staff.
  
  Infant Center
  
  Once admitted to the nursery program, mothers keep a busy schedule.
  Because mothers are required to participate in parenting and CASAT
  programs daily, baby care must be provided in their absence. To meet this
  need, an Infant Center was established. The day care center is housed in
  the facility school building and is staffed by trained, carefully screened,
  inmate babysitters. The inmates are supervised by the nursery manager,
  who is also an early childhood teacher. 
  
  The center requires that inmate mothers simulate the discipline of single
  mothers in the community. Mothers must schedule their babies' feeding
  and nap times around their program schedule. They must have the babies
  fed, dressed, and ready to go to the center when programs are scheduled,
  and they must return quickly to the center to pick up their children at the
  end of the program day. An escort officer is provided to accompany the
  babies to the center, and this escort accompanies infants whenever they
  leave the unit for activities such as attending church with their mothers or
  medical appointments. For security purposes, babies are not permitted to
  associate with the facility's general population without an escort.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  New York's correctional nursery program measures success through the
  following criteria: the number of participants who successfully fulfill their
  role as a parent upon returning to the community; the number of
  participants who do not return to the correctional system; the results of
  individual progress reviews; the number of participants who successfully
  complete the program; and the number of children living with mothers
  after they are released. Other expected results from the program are:
  
  o Through CASAT, participants will gain enough coping skills to live
  drug-free lives. Familial interactions, community adjustments, and the
  overall quality of participants' lives will improve.
  
  o The parenting curriculum and the infant's presence will lead to a strong
  attachment and bonding between mother and child. Developing a strong
  bond will give the mother a strong incentive to change her behavior, and
  she will more likely make full use of the program's opportunities during
  her incarceration. The parenting program will teach the mother about her
  child's physical, social, and cognitive development, leading to better
  parenting.
  
  o The infant will receive appropriate medical attention and have access to
  a positive, socially stimulating environment. Through this supportive
  environment, the infant will develop a strong sense of trust, which will
  serve as a positive factor in the child's development.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  Perception by nonparticipating inmates that nursery participants were a
  favored, pampered group generated a great deal of resentment toward the
  program in the facility's general population. Moreover, the nursery
  program was implemented at a time when the State was experiencing
  severe budget cuts, including staff layoffs, and staff attitudes were not
  positive toward what was viewed as another example of catering to
  inmates' needs while neglecting the staff. After a few months of operation,
  the implementation problems were resolved as both staff and the general
  inmate population came to view the nursery program as a positive addition
  to the facility.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  From 1990 to 1994, 168 women and 163 infants participated in the
  program. During those years, 113 women were either paroled or went to
  community reintegration programs with minimal or no separation from
  their children, and only 16 women were removed from the program for
  disciplinary reasons. Overall, the program reports that infants were healthy
  and well cared for, no infant was removed for medical reasons, no
  miscarriages occurred, and pregnant women enjoyed healthy
  confinements.
  
  A followup study of the program's first 27 participants conducted by the
  New York State Division of Parole revealed that the majority of the
  women were still caring for their children: 81 percent of the children were
  living with their mothers, 15 percent were living with grandmothers, and
  only 1 child was in foster care. Anecdotal evidence from volunteers,
  community contacts, and calls and letters from released mothers indicates
  that most participants have continued to follow the program's concepts in
  their communities.
  
  From 1995 to 1997, 124 mothers and babies participated in the program.
  Of these, 77 mothers were released to parole supervision or entered a
  work-release program, 27 babies were sent to other caretakers and their
  mothers were removed from the program because they failed to follow the
  program's rules, and 20 mothers and babies are currently in the nursery
  program. 
  
  An important part of the nursery program's successful implementation
  were the efforts of a task force that worked to ensure that the nursery was
  operational and equipped with appropriate supplies when the program
  began. The task force comprised staff who were parents. The program also
  benefited from the creation of the nursery team and the Nursery
  Interdisciplinary Committee, comprising oversight groups that review
  policy, resolve problems, and monitor participant progress. By allowing
  inmate participants and staff to establish strong relationships, these groups
  have proved to be an invaluable tool in managing the nursery.
  
  The Taconic Correctional Facility Nursery Program is widely considered a
  model program. The program has been highlighted in a number of news
  articles and television presentations throughout the United States, as well
  as in Japan. Representatives of numerous State correctional systems have
  visited the Taconic facility to observe the program, and Attorney General
  Janet Reno visited the nursery in October 1993.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  This program can be replicated in some form in all prison systems. The
  program has great potential to positively affect incarcerated women and
  their children and incarcerated women who are pregnant.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Bridget Gladwin
  Correction Superintendent
  Department of Corrections
  Taconic Correctional Facility
  250 Harris Road
  Bedford Hills, NY 10507
  Phone: 914-241-3010
  Fax: 914-242-3010, ext. 209
  -------------------------------
  
  Ohio: Oriana House, Inc., Residential Treatment Services Program
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  Addressing the problems of prison and jail crowding is a priority in Ohio.
  In Summit County, the usually steady number of offenders sentenced to
  the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) has
  increased dramatically in recent years due to drug-related arrests. This
  surge in offenders led to overcrowding in local jails and increased
  probation caseloads. 
  
  The State's correctional system lacks effective drug and alcohol
  treatments. According to an ODRC study, treatment for substance abuse is
  the greatest need of the majority of probationers. In Summit County, 66
  percent of probation violations are related to substance abuse, and more
  than 90 percent of residents in a local halfway house were assessed as
  requiring some type of substance abuse service. Probation officers became
  increasingly frustrated attempting to secure timely substance abuse
  treatment for offenders.
  
  Summit County responded to these problems through the Residential
  Treatment Services (RTS) program, a continuum of sanctions to address
  the needs of both the community and the substance-abusing probation
  violator. The program is provided through Oriana House, Inc., a private,
  nonprofit community corrections agency whose mission is to deliver
  effective treatment services to offenders without jeopardizing public
  safety. Oriana House operates residential centers, substance abuse
  treatment programs, nonresidential programs, and numerous support
  services.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The primary goal of the RTS program is to reduce the number of
  probationers committed to State prison for substance abuse-related
  probation violations. The program strives to meet this goal by pursuing the
  following objectives:
  
  o Immediate placement of at-risk probationers into a residential setting to
  reduce the opportunities to abuse drugs and alcohol.
  
  o Enrollment in onsite State-certified substance abuse treatment and
  aftercare.
  
  o Continuation of supervision and services with mandated participation in
  a day reporting program following release from the residential center.
  
  o Provision of ancillary services to meet employment and educational
  needs.
  
  o Implementation of supervision techniques appropriate to the offender's
  level of community involvement.
  
  Program Components
  
  The RTS program takes approximately 1 year to complete and involves a
  progression through three program components: halfway house placement,
  intensive outpatient treatment and aftercare, and participation in a day
  reporting program. RTS has 475 residential beds and plans to make
  another 100 available. Participants are referred to the program if they
  encounter problems while on probation. The program targets minority
  offenders, especially African-American offenders. RTS accepts
  nonviolent, adult felony, misdemeanor, and traffic offenders who need
  long-term rehabilitation and who have shown motivation toward
  self-improvement to courts, probation departments, ODRC, and the
  Federal Bureau of Prisons. Separate facilities are maintained for male and
  female offenders. Program placement is in lieu of incarceration or part of
  efforts to reintegrate offenders into the community.
  
  Halfway House
  
  The program's halfway house provides residential services for 160 RTS
  participants. In-house programming includes educational classes and
  General Educational Development (GED) testing, employment readiness
  and placement assistance, 12-step programs, life skills training, drug
  testing, financial management education, and recreational activities.
  Residents are released from the facility only for verified employment,
  education, and other authorized activities or for earned pass time. Once
  employed, residents pay a per diem to offset the cost of the program.
  Residents enter into performance contracts with case management staff to
  set behavior goals geared toward their successful return to independent
  community living. Residency typically lasts at least 90 days.
  
  Intensive Outpatient Treatment and Aftercare
  
  RTS clients participate in intensive outpatient treatment and aftercare for
  substance abuse during their halfway house residency. Treatment,
  available in morning, afternoon, and evening sessions, is delivered in 16,
  5- to 6-hour sessions, which are held 4 days a week for 4 weeks. Elements
  of outpatient treatment and aftercare include:
  
  o Initial and comprehensive assessments to determine the client's strengths
  and weaknesses and to acquire the information essential to individualizing
  treatment interventions.
  
  o Individual counseling sessions to build client/counselor rapport, identify
  problem issues, devise negotiated strategies for problem redemption, and
  assess individual treatment progress.
  
  o Group counseling sessions that serve as the primary treatment modality.
  The sessions match clients with others who have similar problems and
  encourage self-disclosure, peer confrontation, and feedback.
  
  o Presentations that provide clients with information on chemical
  dependency.
  
  o Self-help groups to involve clients with others who can reinforce the
  concepts essential to long-term recovery.
  
  All clients are referred to ongoing aftercare groups following successful
  discharge from treatment. Discharge summaries with aftercare plans are
  generated and distributed to the probation officer and caseworkers to assist
  in a consistent continuum of treatment.
  
  Day Reporting
  
  The program's day reporting component serves as a bridge from the
  institution to the community, following halfway house placement. All case
  management activities are transferred to the day reporting staff. Clients
  report to their caseworkers daily, maintain established curfew hours, and
  are visited by staff at their job sites. Electronic monitoring is often used as
  a sanction for clients whose positive behavior warrants early release from
  the halfway house. Gradual decreases in reporting requirements are made
  as appropriate. Drug testing is continued, as is monitoring for compliance
  to drug treatment plans. All programs available to clients at the halfway
  house remain available to day reporting participants. Offenders must show
  progress toward rehabilitative goals to be successfully released from the
  program. Upon release, participants remain on probation in a less
  restrictive mode.
  
  Participants are terminated from RTS if they commit a new crime, have
  behavioral problems, use drugs, or assault the staff. Violators may be
  referred to a secure community-based correctional facility or to prison.
    
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  Implementation of the RTS program should result in a decrease in the
  number of probation revocations and prison commitments among the
  target population. Performance measures include: the number of
  probationers who successfully complete the program, the number of
  treatment sessions attended, the number of drug and alcohol tests
  conducted, the number of recurrent substance abuse-related revocations
  and convictions, and the number of prison commitments for substance
  abuse-related violations.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  Implementation problems were minimal because the program's three
  components had previously operated as independent programs. The most
  serious initial concern was inadequate communications among the
  components to ensure that RTS participants moved smoothly through the
  three phases. Another obstacle was overcoming staff resistance to the
  additional paperwork, meetings, and documentation.
  
  Physical space requirements presented challenges with the formation of
  additional treatment groups. The problem was resolved by developing
  open-ended treatment sessions at different times during the day and
  renting additional office space.
  
  Finally, RTS staff have struggled to overcome the reluctance of some
  probationers to enter residential programs. These offenders view treatment
  more as punishment than as therapy, and the program is working to
  educate them about the program's therapeutic mission and potential
  benefits. Moreover, role conflict between treatment and supervision is a
  recurrent issue between program and probation staff. To improve the
  treatment of clients, the program conducts cross-training sessions and
  encourages regular contact between treatment and supervision staff
  personnel.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  In its first 30 months of operation, RTS exceeded its goal of serving 50
  probationers annually, with a substance abuse treatment completion rate of
  89 percent. To date, 136 probationers have been served. 
  
  Probationers at risk of violating probation have been able to enter
  substance abuse treatment within 1 week of referral, a significant
  improvement from past practices when probationers spent months on
  waiting lists before securing a slot. Monitoring systems have been
  established to track program graduates as they continue on probation. Data
  collection has been ongoing, and analysis will begin after a full year of
  operation. In addition, the program has secured funding to continue
  operating.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  Oriana House had a unique advantage in implementing RTS, because all
  program components were already fully operational. The coordination of
  services from a single agency is much easier to replicate than is the
  brokering of services from several agencies or the creation of a new
  residential center that includes both drug treatment and day reporting
  services.
  
  An important aspect of replicating the program is obtaining the
  cooperation of the criminal justice system. This cooperation can be
  secured by providing a cost-effective service for a group of people the
  system does not want to work with, such as offenders on work release or
  those with mental health problems. Program staff must provide copious
  information to all stakeholders including judges, sheriffs, and city
  commissioners. Each stakeholder should be contacted at least once every 6
  months.
  
  Contact Information
  
  James Lawrence
  President and CEO
  Oriana House, Inc.
  49 East Glenwood Avenue
  P.O. Box 1501
  Akron, OH 44309
  Phone: 330-535-8116
  Fax: 330-996-2233
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Oklahoma: Department of Corrections Enid Community Learning and
  Family Center
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  The U.S. Department of Education estimates that approximately one out of
  every five American adults, or 20 percent, cannot read at the sixth-grade
  level. These individuals are functionally illiterate and cannot read street
  signs or warning labels on medicine bottles, fill out job applications, or
  perform other daily tasks. Another 34 percent of American adults are
  marginally illiterate, meaning they cannot read above the eighth-grade
  level. Forty-three percent of the combined illiterate population is between
  the ages of 20 and 29, an important child-rearing period in most people's
  lives.
  
  Oklahoma is heavily affected by illiteracy, ranking fourth in the Nation in
  proportion of functionally illiterate residents. Using 1990 census data, an
  estimated 461,000 Oklahomans were identified as functionally illiterate
  and another 785,000, as marginally illiterate. Oklahoma ranks third in the
  Nation in per capita incarceration rates. Sixty-two percent of all Oklahoma
  inmates did not complete high school and 70 percent read below the
  12th-grade level.
  
  The correlation between crime and illiteracy is well documented in
  correctional literature. In 1993, recognizing the need to combat illiteracy,
  the Oklahoma Department of Corrections District V Probation and Parole
  Office, proposed establishing a community-based education program to
  serve as an alternative to incarceration. At the same time, the Enid
  Metropolitan Area Human Services Commission conducted a community
  needs assessment that indicated that a large number of young families
  were in need of coordinated and comprehensive social services.
  Coincidentally, a substantial number of District V's probationers/parolees
  were identified as belonging to that population. A unison of missions
  occurred, and the Department of Corrections Enid Community Learning
  and Family Center was established.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The Enid Community Learning and Family Center plays both a preventive
  and rehabilitative role in the fight to break the cycle of criminal behavior
  perpetuated by poor education and lack of services and resources.
  
  In working toward this goal, the Learning and Family Center has identified
  the following objectives:
  
  o Provide, prior to adjudication, substance abuse and educational
  assessments to all persons charged with a crime and forward the
  assessments to the court to divert appropriate offenders to treatment
  programs as a condition of probation or parole.
  
  o Refer families and neighborhoods to Family Center activities that
  address their needs.
  
  o Establish the Learning Center, a community-based literacy program for
  offenders, their families, and other citizens in the area.
  
  In meeting these objectives, the Enid Community Learning Center abides
  by the beliefs that the learner's needs must be met and that the learner
  should have a sense of control over his or her learning.
  
  Program Components
  
  Once clients have entered the program, they can access either the Learning
  Center or the Family Center; the centers share a coordinator and
  administrative support. Learning Center instructors and Family Center
  advocates work cooperatively to help clients access services most
  appropriate to their individual needs and goals.
  
  The Learning Center focuses on providing educational services to the
  offender population and to the community at large, literacy, adult basic
  education (ABE), and General Education Development (GED) classes are
  offered to all individuals free of charge. The center's methods of
  instruction differ according to skill levels: one-on-one instruction for
  students functioning at the literacy level, small group and lecture
  instruction for students functioning at the ABE or GED level, and a
  customized computer-assisted education program for students at all levels.
  These modalities enable students to become independent learners in the
  areas of reading, math, language, writing, sciences, and social studies.
  
  Workplace Skills Enhancement Program
  
  The Learning Center helps meet the needs of workers and employers in
  Enid by providing a continuing education program, with emphasis on
  work-related skills. The Workplace Skills Enhancement Program allows
  those already in the workforce to upgrade skills for more effective job
  performance. Classes and individual instruction link work-related lessons
  with job-specific materials and situations, providing both theoretical and
  vocational training. Other classes allow employees to improve basic skills
  in reading, writing, and mathematics and prepare for GED examinations.
  
  Summer Enrichment Program
  
  This program is a voluntary, 2-month service for selected young people in
  the community. The program offers youth workplace training, part-time
  employment, and half-day educational instruction. The Learning Center
  provides educational instruction in reading and math. Instructors teach the
  classes using nontraditional teaching methods in a creative environment.
  
  Youth Opportunity Task Force Program
  
  This initiative provides intervention services to first-time juvenile
  offenders. A recent community survey found that the average first-time
  offender was more than two grade levels behind his or her peers in
  academic competency. Working in cooperation with Family Center
  advocates and other community agencies, the Learning Center provides
  this group with educational instruction. The objectives of the program
  include decreasing the crime rate of juveniles by 25 percent, decreasing
  gang activity by 20 percent, and increasing community involvement with
  youth through participation in community service projects.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  Given the orientation of the center toward the provision of resources and
  referrals, performance measures cover both the number of participants and
  qualitative indicators of success, including:
  
  o Number of offenders diverted to the program.
  
  o Number of citizens in the area using the program's resources.
  
  o Number of referrals made by the Family Center.
  
  o Number of placements in service and followup programs.
  
  o Average increase in Learning Center participants' achievement levels.
  
  o Number of participants receiving GEDs or completing educational
  programming. 
  
  o The Learning Center's effect on illiteracy and the local crime rate.
  
  o Level of community support.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  Initial implementation problems were a result of the fragmented nature of
  resources and services that existed prior to the establishment of the center.
  Developing a collaborative effort among agencies as extensive as the
  Metro Commission, the Department of Corrections, and the Department of
  Education meant overcoming a number of "turf" issues. In particular, the
  ABE and GED coordinator for the area was resistant to the Learning
  Center because he believed it threatened the need for his services. Time
  was required to explain that the program sought not to exclude any
  individual or program but rather to bring individuals together and expand
  programs to provide more convenient and effective services. Teams were
  not developed overnight; it was through the perseverance of center
  advocates that working relationships were developed based on trust,
  flexibility, and a common vision.
  
  A problem still being addressed concerns preadjudication assessments for
  probation clients. Currently, preadjudication assessments are not
  mandatory and occasionally overlooked. However, the center is working
  with the county sheriff to create a consistent process whereby if bond is
  made, the client immediately visits the center for assessment; or, if bond is
  not made, an assessment is conducted at the county jail.
  
  Finally, the center could have a deeper impact if probation and parole
  agents referred more clients to the center. The lack of referrals has been
  the result of poor understanding of what services are offered at the center.
  It is hoped that ongoing communication between the center and probation
  and parole agents will rectify this situation.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  In the 2 years the Learning and Family Center has been in operation, adults
  and children have benefited from readily accessible services in a
  community setting. Often, offenders and citizens are not skilled at
  obtaining the services they need, a problem compounded by service
  bureaucracy. The center's one-stop shopping concept allows easy access to
  critical, needed services. In addition, collaboration has made services more
  economical, curbed redundancy, and improved the quality of life in the
  community. Success is also evident in the diversity of citizens turning to
  the center for assistance and in their individual and group
  accomplishments. Through the center, appropriate offenders have been
  diverted from prison to community programs, and, at the same time, the
  corrections system has had a model that demonstrates that community
  programs can be successful.
  
  Two local employers, Singer Steel and the city of Enid, took advantage of
  the Workplace Skills Enhancement Program, which offers classes
  designed to meet individual and company requirements. Interaction
  between the employers and the Learning Center ensured that the skills and
  training needs of both employers and employees were met. Singer Steel
  completed its skills enhancement program in FY 1993-94, and the city of
  Enid began a program in FY 1994-95. In addition, the program recently
  hired a job placement agent to perform career assessments and to help
  direct individual's to services.
  
  The Summer Enrichment Program proved to be very successful. Upon
  entering the program, each student was given an ABE test. The test was
  administered again at the end of the program and each student gained a
  minimum of 2 months in at least one subject, some increasing their skill
  level by as much as several years.
  
  In addition to the adult clients referred through the Enid Community
  Corrections Center and through the District V Probation and Parole Office,
  the Learning and Family Center serves an increasing number of clients
  referred from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Autry
  Vo-Tech, and area churches. The Learning Center recently began serving
  more people from the local community than from the Department of
  Corrections. Since it opened, the Learning Center has held two graduations
  and awarded more than 100 GEDs.
  
  More than 600 individuals and families have been affected by the services
  offered. A privately funded outgrowth of the Family Center's Parents as
  Teachers Program has brought selected parents of 3-year-olds into the
  center for learning enhancement. While the parents learn skills as varied as
  reading improvement and basic computer skills, their children attend St.
  Paul's Preschool. It is the Learning Center's hope that family literacy will
  be strengthened by the Learning and Family Center partnership.
  
  Collaboration with the center on community projects has also improved
  the public's perception of the Department of Corrections and its mission.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  Positive media attention, community enthusiasm, and the support of a
  State representative living in the area have resulted in a legislative
  proposal requiring the State's Secretary of Health and Human Services,
  Secretary of Safety and Security, and Secretary of Education to submit a
  plan to the Governor for the development of family service centers
  throughout the State. The centers would serve local residents and
  offenders being supervised in the community by coordinating services of
  the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Department of Health, and
  Department of Corrections. The legislation has passed in the Oklahoma
  House of Representatives. In addition, the Department of Corrections
  plans to establish additional learning centers throughout the State. When
  grant funds were exhausted on June 30, 1997, the Department of
  Corrections assumed funding the Enid Community Learning Center,
  thereby ensuring continuation of the project.
  
  Other States interested in replicating the Enid Community Learning and
  Family Center should consider the following issues:
  
  o Community services and programs must already exist to make referrals
  to the Family Center.
  
  o Advocates must have the time and perseverance to overcome the hurdles
  of developing relationships with agency personnel who may feel
  threatened by a centralization of services.
  
  o All agencies and their personnel working with the center must
  understand its mission and services for the center to have optimum effect.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Jan Walton
  Director
  Department of Corrections
  Enid Community Learning and Family Center
  2615 East Randolf
  Enid, OK 73701
  Phone: 405-242-6600
  Fax: 405-234-3554
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Oregon: Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Program
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  National studies have revealed the effects of alcohol and drug abuse on
  crime and prison overcrowding. For example, the Bureau of Justice
  Statistics 1991 Survey of State Prison Inmates found that 31 percent of
  inmates report committing their offense under the influence of drugs, 62
  percent report regular use of illicit drugs, 32 percent report committing
  their offense under the influence of alcohol, and inmates sentenced for
  drug offenses account for 44 percent of the recent increase in prison
  population.
  
  Alcohol and drug problem screening data from Oregon prison inmates
  present a similar picture. For example, 85 percent of incoming inmates
  report some history of illegal drug use; 53 percent report regular, sustained
  use of an illicit drug; 36 percent report regular, sustained use of alcohol;
  39 percent report use of illicit drugs at least once weekly prior to
  incarceration; 38 percent report severe mental problems including
  hospitalization, depression, and hallucinations caused by alcohol or drugs
  in the past year; and 63 percent report serious social problems caused by
  alcohol or drugs in the past year.
  
  Many State prison inmates have severe alcohol and drug problems that
  contribute significantly to their criminal history. Prison alcohol and drug
  treatment programs have been effective at addressing these problems. For
  example, the Stay 'N Out Program in New York followed more than 2,000
  offenders over a 10-year period and found large reductions in arrests and
  parole revocations for treated offenders when compared with untreated
  offenders. In Oregon, the Cornerstone Program found large reductions in
  arrests, convictions, and returns to prison that are directly attributable to
  time spent in treatment.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The goal of the Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Program is to provide
  residential therapeutic community treatment to reduce recidivism of
  inmates who have severe alcohol or drug problems and an established
  pattern of criminal behavior. Specific program objectives are:
  
  o Maintaining program utilization at a minimum of 90 percent of capacity
  and providing residential alcohol and drug treatment to at least 200
  inmates yearly.
  
  o Providing residential alcohol and drug treatment services at levels
  required for licensing by the State Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
  Programs.
  
  o Helping 90 percent of inmates abstain from alcohol and illicit drug use
  during treatment (as measured by urinalysis).
  
  o Achieving a completion rate of 60 percent for at least two-thirds of the
  treatment objectives before discharge.
  
  o Referring 80 percent of inmates completing the program to a community
  treatment program and enrolling them in that program.
  
  o Assisting program graduates with employment skills so that at least 50
  percent demonstrate improvements in employability at discharge.
  
  o Reducing arrest rates of program graduates by at least 25 percent,
  conviction rates by at least 25 percent, and incarceration by at least 25
  percent.
  
  Program Components
  
  Opened in November 1990, Turning Point is housed within the Columbia
  River Correctional Institution. The program is operated by ASAP
  Treatment Services, Inc., of Portland. The facility is divided into 2 50-bed
  units--1 for women and 1 for men. Establishing a therapeutic community
  within the confines of an institution requires developing close working
  relationships among treatment staff and correctional staff. A therapeutic
  community is a 24-hour living environment in which people with similar
  problems learn to work and live together, thereby learning the skills they
  need to work and live outside the institution. The inmates, called residents,
  help staff manage the unit, create guidelines for living, and solve problems
  in the unit. Residents are treated as decisionmaking adults. Peer and
  support groups operate 24 hours a day, creating a powerful learning
  environment.
  
  Activities include education, therapy, family counseling, parenting skill
  training (with sessions involving residents' children), therapeutic
  community meetings, work crew, and work release. Successful transition
  to the community is enhanced by vocational planning; development of a
  support system involving family, friends, and self-help groups such as
  Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous; and connection with
  an outpatient aftercare drug treatment program. Residents move through
  five program phases, beginning with a 30-day assessment and evaluation
  phase and ending in the work release phase and parole. Ideally, residents
  are in Turning Point for 6 to 12 months prior to parole. Program
  components are as follows:
  
  o Stress Management--learning self-management and self-care skills.
  
  o Community Meeting--learning basic problem-solving skills, making
  commitments to change behaviors, and practicing leadership roles.
  
  o Core group--participating in process-oriented group therapy that
  emphasizes recognizing and challenging errors in thinking.
  
  o Lectures--attending educational presentations on alcohol and drug
  addiction and recovery, health issues, interpersonal skills, and living skills.
  
  o Life skills workshops--participating in sessions designed to teach and
  practice complex life skills such as assertiveness, anger management, goal
  setting, managing criminality, and changing thinking errors.
  
  o Leisure development--learning to enjoy leisure time without alcohol and
  drugs.
  
  o Family program--enhancing relationships with family and significant
  others through family counseling and parenting skills training.
  
  o Employment preparation--screening for vocational interest and personal
  objectives, writing resumes, preparing for job interviews, and planning for
  short- and long-range career goals.
  
  o Release planning--developing a recovery plan, aftercare plan, short- and
  long-range goals, and money management skills.
  
  o Relapse prevention--understanding the relapse process, developing an
  individual relapse prevention plan, and learning strategies for avoiding and
  responding to offers of alcohol and drugs, and handling a relapse.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  The performance indicators for the program are program use, professional
  standards, abstinence during treatment, treatment completion, community
  referral, employability, and recidivism.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  The men's unit experienced a turnover in the unit manager position during
  the first year of operation, requiring an extended period to fully develop
  staff teamwork and program structure. Both units continue to adapt to
  changes in the State Department of Corrections (DOC) such as work
  release policies and prison overcrowding. The women's unit has often
  found it necessary to provide shorter term treatment than planned because
  of the short sentences given to many female inmates.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  The program's accomplishments were summarized in the State Licensing
  Review Report dated April 17, 1995:
  
  o The program is exceptionally well managed at all levels of leadership.
  
  o Open records are uniform in structure; information is easy to locate.
  
  o Staff interviews suggest that morale is high.
  
  o Diversity of staff is a strength.
  
  o Management is highly supportive of professional growth and
  development.
  
  o The program works well with the Department of Corrections and
  communicates effectively with DOC staff at all levels.
  
  o The women's unit is exceptionally astute at identifying issues specific to
  the population and responding to the needs of women participating in
  treatment.
  
  o The program provides a good mix of clinical and cognitive
  programming. 
  
  o The program's quality assurance process appears effective in identifying
  strengths and weaknesses regarding documentation, course of treatment,
  and outcomes.
  
  In addition to alcohol and drug treatment, services provided by staff at
  Turning Point range from family counseling and parenting skills training
  to mental health case management. Over the past year, female clients have
  presented an increasing number of mental health issues. The program has
  responded by hiring a mental health staff, coordinating and
  communicating with health services, and initiating comprehensive staff
  training. The program focuses primarily on transitional planning and has
  hired staff to coordinate transitional services for inmates prior to release
  from custody.
  
  Results for FY 1996-97 were:
  
  o Program utilization--97 percent (423 individuals treated annually).
  
  o Professional standards--State licensing obtained.
  
  o Abstinence during treatment--99 percent.
  
  o Treatment completion--45 percent.
  
  o Community referral--81 percent.
  
  o Employability--52-percent improvement.
  
  o Recidivism--48-percent decrease in arrests, 61-percent decrease in
  convictions, and 28-percent decrease in incarcerations.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  Turning Point is one of several prison-based residential therapeutic
  programs implemented across the country in recent years. Intensive
  alcohol and drug treatment programs in prison address a critical need and
  have been shown to be effective. Unique aspects of this program are the
  support it receives from the institution and other corrections programs, the
  dual emphasis on drug treatment and intervening in criminal thinking, the
  provision of parenting skills training, the use of relapse prevention
  planning, and the program's emphasis on transition to postprison
  supervision and treatment.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Gary Field
  Administrator
  Counseling and Treatment Services Division
  2575 Center Street NE.
  Salem, OR 97310
  Phone: 503-378-8373
  Fax: 503-378-5118 
  
  Barbara Aho Grider
  Executive Director
  ASAP Treatment Services
  2130 Southwest Fifth Avenue
  Portland, OR 97201
  Phone: 503-224-0075
  Fax: 503-274-7642
  
  Kevin Hormann
  Manager
  Alcohol and Drug Program
  Columbia River Correctional Institution
  9111 Northeast Sunderland Avenue
  Portland, OR 97211
  Phone: 503-280-6663, ext. 240
  Fax: 503-820-6012
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Pennsylvania: OPTIONS Women's Therapeutic Center
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  The Philadelphia Prison System (PPS) is a large, urban correctional system
  with a tradition of offering full-service alcohol and other drug treatment
  programs, including therapeutic communities, to its residents. In the past,
  the main recipients of these services have been male inmates. The
  opportunity to participate in the therapeutic community, also referred to as
  intensive treatment, was not available to female inmates.
  
  There were compelling reasons for establishing programming specifically
  for women in PPS. The number of women entering the system who abused
  alcohol and other drugs was increasing, and the number of chemically
  dependent incarcerated male offenders was believed to be as high as 80
  percent. Alarmingly, in the Philadelphia area, the number of female
  offenders needing substance abuse treatment was even higher.
  Additionally, there was a desire on the part of the agency staff to make
  women's substance abuse programming equal to that for men. This desire
  coincided with a court order to PPS to provide alcohol and other drug
  treatment services to any sentenced inmate who wanted treatment, with
  equitable programs for men and women.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The Women's Therapeutic Center is a 70-bed program that operates within
  the framework of a systemwide chemical dependency treatment effort
  known as Opportunities for Prevention and Treatment Interventions for
  Offenders Needing Support (OPTIONS). The broader objective of the
  program is to interrupt the cycle of addiction, criminal activity, and
  incarceration. Related objectives support the maintenance of a program
  atmosphere that facilitates the development of the client's potential. At the
  same time, the program encourages participants to assume and share
  leadership and responsibility in nonauthoritarian and nonabusive ways
  within a nontraditional therapeutic community setting.
  
  Programming goals are designed to educate and support abstinence and
  recovery, as well as teach and reinforce coping skills that make community
  reintegration successful.
  
  Program Components
  
  The primary goal of the OPTIONS Women's Therapeutic Center is to
  provide gender-appropriate treatment to incarcerated women who are
  chemically dependent. Clients are referred to the program by court
  stipulations; by self-referrals, which are based on staff and program
  participants' descriptions of the program during new inmate orientation or
  advertising about the program within the institution; or by referrals by
  social workers or other staff.
  
  The assessment process determines whether the offender has an alcohol or
  other drug problem and if she is interested in treatment. Assessment is
  accomplished primarily through interviews by program staff using a
  modified version of the Addictions Severity Index. The interviewer seeks
  to determine the severity of any psychiatric problems and the woman's
  ability to handle the contact-intensive nature of the therapeutic
  community. The psychiatric unit provides consultations when necessary.
  Self-evaluation of treatment needs also contributes to the assessment
  process.
  
  The program uses the therapeutic community as its primary treatment
  format. However, it uses a communal, noncompetitive approach rather
  than the traditional, hierarchical structure typically employed by
  therapeutic communities. Group therapy is the principal mode of
  treatment, with individual counseling and 12-step meetings offered as
  support services. Family therapy is available through Target Cities funding
  from the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) for clients who
  are legally eligible for a special early release program.
  
  Treatment is offered in 8-week cycles. Each cycle is designed around
  recovery and related issues. Staff discovered that certain issues, such as
  abuse, self-image, parenting, and codependency, remain constant.
  However, a client's readiness and level of recovery are continually
  assessed when designing and presenting material.
  
  Participants enter the program at the cycle in progress at that time. The
  number of cycles a client completes during her time in treatment is not
  dependent on the curriculum being offered but on the number of 8-week
  periods she remains in treatment. To graduate from an 8-week cycle, a
  client must adhere to the rules and regulations of the program and
  participate regularly in program activities. Materials used in each cycle are
  designed with the special needs of the current population in mind. Core
  cycle activities often include developing trust among members, facilitating
  adjustment to community living, and providing an opportunity to learn and
  practice new communication skills. 
  
  Admission to the program is continual, and clients enter at different points
  in a cycle. Because the county prison population experiences rapid
  turnover, staff must place new clients in ongoing treatment activities. To
  do this, all new admissions are oriented to the program and to the group
  therapy process through participation in a newcomers' group. In this group,
  staff have the opportunity to assess the client's needs and adjustment
  problems and to confer with other group leaders about suitable placement. 
  
  Committees give participants the opportunity to exercise leadership,
  practice cooperation, and realize their creative potential within a specific
  program area. Program committees deal with parenting enrichment, the
  recovery journey, the whole woman, 12-step fellowship, special resources,
  and special projects that involve all the women in activities such as the
  production of a play, a graduation presentation, or a program newsletter.
  
  Each cycle culminates in a graduation ceremony, which rewards,
  reinforces, and fortifies staff as well as clients when the difficult work of a
  cycle is completed. These ceremonies have become a cherished tradition
  of the program and are well attended by custody and administrative staff,
  community members, and OPTIONS treatment staff. Family members,
  dignitaries, service providers, and former successful program graduates are
  encouraged to attend the yearly anniversary graduation, which celebrates
  the anniversary of the program as well as the graduation of current cycle
  participants.
  
  Two successful initiatives assist in securing the best possible outcome for
  clients upon release. The first involves the assignment of an OPTIONS
  outreach coordinator to develop community resources for clients. These
  resources often deliver educational seminars to program members as well
  as provide services upon their return to the community. As of July 1997,
  approximately 278 speakers had presented 564 seminars to inmates in the
  OPTIONS program.
  
  The second initiative involves access to community treatment slots, many
  specifically designed for the female offender, through a combined criminal
  justice effort for early parole known as the Forensic Intensive Recovery
  (FIR) Project. The FIR Project depends on the cooperation of agencies that
  traditionally have not worked together. For instance, biweekly meetings
  are attended by representatives from the mayor's office, the court, the
  district attorney, the public defender, mental health providers, alcohol and
  other drug counselors, probation and parole officers, prison officials, and
  other criminal justice and city agencies. PPS was able to secure, through
  the auspices of Target Cities from CSAT, a criminal justice grant to offer
  family therapy to clients who are awaiting release to the FIR Project.
  These clients receive a minimum of 20 hours of family therapy while
  participating in OPTIONS.
  
  At the Community College of Philadelphia/OPTIONS Campus, a special
  four-course mental health/social service curriculum is offered to eligible
  inmates and funded by penalty money the district court was compelled to
  pay due to overcrowding in the PPS. Classes, which are attended by
  women from the therapeutic community, include topics such as child
  abuse, substance abuse, interpersonal communication skills, and domestic
  violence.
    
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  The implementation of the Women's Treatment Center was expected to
  increase the number of women receiving treatment in jail, as well as upon
  release. Additionally, it was assumed that disciplinary infractions would
  decrease within the treatment unit as compared with the period before the
  program's inception. Other performance measures include the number of
  cycles completed, the number of cycle graduates, and the number of
  seminars provided by community resources. Random urinalysis is an
  important measure of program integrity. Clients are given a questionnaire
  to assess their satisfaction with program and staff services.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  A major achievement was the program's successful implementation amid
  rampant sabotage and undercutting. The transfer of certain key custody
  staff within the female unit became necessary to implement services and to
  root out negative attitudes and behavior toward female inmates. Initially,
  the staff did not believe that a therapeutic community would work for
  female offenders. An all-female staff was chosen for the program and
  trained to understand the potential of a therapeutic community for women.
  
  Staff struggled with the question of providing treatment for pregnant
  inmates who needed to be housed together for security and medical
  purposes. It was decided that the women's therapeutic unit would house
  this population. On occasion, the unit must deal with clients who do not
  comply with program rules and regulations yet cannot be removed from
  treatment. These inmates are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and given
  time out of program activities for failure to comply with program
  guidelines.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  From October 1992 to the end of July 1997, 1,696 women were processed
  through the program. More than 65 percent of these women graduated
  from at least one cycle. Additionally, four anniversary graduations were
  held. Urinalysis tests have been administered to inmates approximately six
  times a year, with 25 to 30 clients tested each time. Of those inmates tested
  from October 1995 to July 1997, nine tested positive. During the same
  period, 16 inmates received disciplinary reports. All of the women who
  leave the therapeutic community are referred to community agencies, and
  55 percent have attended treatment. Moreover, several women who have
  graduated from the therapeutic community unit and are in strong recovery
  come back to the unit to chair Narcotics Anonymous meetings and offer
  recovery seminars to active clients.
  
  The Women's Therapeutic Center was a popular choice for student
  placement, and four graduate and three undergraduate students spent time
  at the center during the years reported on in this publication. One student
  was a correctional officer working on an undergraduate degree in social
  work.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  This program is relatively simple to duplicate. Information is abundant on
  correctional alcohol and other drug programming. Information on women's
  treatment issues, although not abundant, is available. The crucial element
  is the selection of both correctional and treatment staff. More specifically,
  the attitude and energy of staff will make the most notable difference in
  the outcome of treatment efforts. Therapeutic community work is
  emotionally and mentally arduous. Considering the stressful environment
  of a prison setting, staff commitment, integrity, and compassion are
  paramount to the healing process. It is important that prison administrators
  support treatment efforts and treatment staff, and cross-discipline training
  and communication must be provided and sustained.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Deborah Raddock
  Director 
  OPTIONS
  Philadelphia Prison System
  8301 State Road
  Philadelphia, PA 19136
  Phone: 215-685-7111
  Fax: 215-685-7199
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Rhode Island: Discovery Substance Abuse Treatment Program
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  Approximately 37 percent of the female population incarcerated by the
  State of Rhode Island has been sentenced for drug-related offenses, and
  more than 87 percent of these women have serious substance abuse
  problems. The issue of substance abuse must be addressed
  comprehensively to prepare female offenders for release from
  incarceration.
  
  Prior to 1993, substance abuse treatment for women incarcerated in Rhode
  Island was sporadic or nonexistent. The need for an intensive residential
  program based on gender-specific issues with a strong aftercare
  component was critical. Sixty-seven percent of Rhode Island's female
  prison population is serving less than 1 year. They tend to be repeat
  offenders who are highly resistant to treatment. For these offenders,
  incarceration is a window of opportunity to participate in intensive
  treatment. 
  
  According to a study of recidivism rates and Rhode Island statistics
  released by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) in March 1989, failure
  rates are highest in the first year after release. Recognizing the complicated
  needs of women, as well as the opportunity for introduction to substance
  abuse treatment and education during the period of incarceration, the
  Rhode Island Department of Corrections (DOC), in collaboration with the
  Office of Substance Abuse, used Federal funds made available through the
  Governor's Justice Commission to introduce onsite, comprehensive
  substance abuse treatment to a group of women incarcerated in the DOC
  minimum security unit.
  
  Discovery, a 24-bed residential unit, is the result of a contract awarded to
  Talbot Treatment Centers, a community-based drug treatment agency. The
  program began admitting clients in February 1994, and employs four
  bilingual, bicultural, gender-appropriate counselors.
  
  Because Rhode Island has no jails, all incarcerated women are housed in
  the DOC Women's Facilities. Inmates with sentences of 2 years or less (or
  who have 2 years or less remaining to serve) and classified as minimum
  security are eligible. There is no age restriction; the population is between
  19 and 40 years of age. Approximately 80 percent of the women in the
  program are mothers of dependent children, and most are single and
  involved with the State's Department for Children, Youth and Families
  (DCYF). The majority of the women are prior offenders of nonviolent
  crimes. Fifty percent belong to racial or ethnic minority groups, and a
  significant number have histories of both physical and emotional abuse.
  Nearly all are multiple-drug users, usually a combination of cocaine,
  alcohol, and heroin.
  
  In developing the program, factors contributing to substance abuse were
  recognized and addressed. These factors include histories of sexual and
  domestic violence, illiteracy or lack of a high school education,
  undiagnosed or untreated learning disabilities, the need for parenting
  education, undeveloped work ethic, lack of job skills or meaningful
  employment, health and mental health problems, lack of education about
  preventing sexually transmitted disease and tuberculosis, and lack of
  access to safe, affordable, and substance-free housing. Underlying all these
  factors is an overwhelming lack of self-esteem.
  
  The potential impact of a woman's success in the program is evident well
  beyond the prison and the criminal justice system. Learning to live drug-
  and crime-free brings social and financial benefits to the entire
  community. When a woman succeeds, children are removed from State
  custody; health care, unemployment, and welfare costs are decreased; and
  homelessness is reduced. Although it is unrealistic to expect that long-term
  success will be widespread and sustainable for every client, a sound
  intensive treatment program, with realistic aftercare plans in place and
  community support available, has a greatly enhanced chance for success.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The overall goal of the program is to educate and counsel women about
  the disease of addiction. 
  
  The program's objectives are as follows. First, introduce the offender to a
  gender-specific and culturally relevant residential therapeutic community
  to alter substance abuse, criminality, and self-destructive behavior.
  Second, provide her with a structured continuum of care as an alternative
  to incarceration that prevents relapse and reoffending. Third, successfully
  facilitate her reintegration into the community.
  
  Program Components
  
  The paucity of research on the treatment needs of women with substance
  abuse problems has been a serious impediment to the development of
  empirically validated treatment programs for female offenders. Currently,
  enough evidence supports the hypothesis that substance abuse treatment
  can be effective, efficient, and economical. Studies suggest that when
  gender-sensitive treatment is offered to women, treatment outcomes
  improve. Outcome studies funded by BJA indicate that the therapeutic
  community approach to drug treatment appears to be the most popular
  form of intensive drug treatment under development within correctional
  institutions.
  
  The program is structured into four phases of treatment: orientation,
  recovery, relapse, and transition. Discovery is a well-coordinated,
  multidimensional treatment program modeled after the current Talbot
  Treatment Centers' Women's Program. Discovery has a static capacity of
  24 and a dynamic capacity of 100. The program is presented by a
  well-trained treatment team that is knowledgeable about gender and
  cultural issues. Comprehensive and individualized at the same time,
  Discovery treatment interventions address alcohol and other drug
  dependency, criminality, institutionalization, relapse, and gender-related
  treatment issues such as guilt, shame, physical and sexual abuse,
  parenting, and codependency. The program addresses these issues through
  individual, group, and family counseling, life skills training, leisure time
  and nutrition activities, and vocational and career counseling. To
  maximize the program's impact, Discovery staff collaborate with support
  services for women and children in the prison. The average length of stay
  is 3 months, but women may stay in the program at the facility until their
  release from prison.
  
  Discovery's treatment emphasizes planning for release, which involves
  individual and family aftercare planning, including coordination with
  DCYF. The program facilitates referrals to the Talbot Treatment Centers'
  network and other community-based treatment and social service
  programs in the State. Talbot Treatment Centers have signed integrated
  service and affiliation agreements with more than 60 health organizations,
  schools, and treatment, housing, and service agencies. 
  
  Discovery provides ongoing assessment and case management to
  determine readiness for movement to the transition phase or to a
  community-based setting. Determination of readiness for movement is
  based on satisfactory completion of mutually agreed-upon treatment goals.
  The inmate should be able to demonstrate an ability to deal more
  effectively with the stresses of everyday living. It is hoped that the need to
  use alcohol or other drugs to alleviate stress in anxiety-producing
  situations will have been reduced by teaching the inmate more positive
  coping skills. Indications of this are 12-step involvement, improved social
  skills, improved parenting skills, knowledge about substances and their
  effects, development of leisure-time activities, and improved self-concept.
  
  The integration of physical activities into group and individual sessions is
  important as women move through the treatment stages. Their weekly
  schedule includes groups focusing on emotions, cognitive restructuring,
  relationships, women's health, art therapy, stabilization and withdrawal,
  relapse prevention, self-esteem, substance abuse education, and social
  skills. In addition, community meetings and relaxation measures, as well
  as recreational activities such as softball, volleyball, weight training, and
  dance, are led by the program team. Outside consultants provide domestic
  violence education, advice to trauma groups, and aerobic classes. Other
  support services provided to the women by DOC are mentoring, parenting,
  general educational development (GED) preparation, life skills training,
  discharge planning, job preparedness, and self-help groups.
  
  Women who participate in the program retain job responsibilities on the
  wing as well as regular visitation rights with lawyers, psychologists,
  DCYF social workers, and family members. The women attend a 6-week
  series on early childhood development, as well as a scheduled parenting
  component on weekends. Program staff conduct case reviews with child
  care and custody workers from DCYF, meet with attorneys if necessary,
  and work with the women's families. Many of these women would not be
  admitted for treatment in community-based modalities. Many are already
  diagnosed and on supervised medications and would not meet the
  admission criteria of an agency-managed program. Most of the women
  have complicated medical histories, and some have been diagnosed
  HIV-positive and are receiving treatment while incarcerated.
  
  Talbot Treatment Centers, Inc., the parent organization of Discovery,
  provides a full continuum of care consisting of six separate programs. The
  organization operates three outpatient programs in different parts of the
  State, as well as detox; residential, day treatment for women; and
  long-term care programs. Discovery clients participate in that network and
  can be admitted to the next level of care through prison staff after they are
  released.
  
  The furlough program allows women to leave the facility for treatment at
  Talbot one night each week. Through the program, women form links with
  the outpatient counseling staff so that they are on familiar turf once
  released. Offenders are more likely to continue treatment after release if
  they are familiar with the staff and surroundings. Women in medium
  security receive services without the intense environment or schedule of
  the residential component. Their group participation is approximately 6
  hours a week, compared with 20 to 25 for the residential program. Many
  of the women in medium security are transferred to the community-based
  residential program upon release. 
  
  Work release, another component of the program, allows women who
  have reached the transitional phase and are classified work release, to join
  the workforce while in treatment. Women in this component may work
  nights and weekends and some daytime hours, but must remain in the
  program for a minimum of 3 days a week.
  
  Women are removed from the program if disciplinary action is taken; if
  they do not conform to their treatment plan and refuse to sign a behavioral
  contract; if they are asked to leave because of rule infractions; or if they
  request dismissal from the program.
  
  Results and Impact
    
  Performance Measures
  
  The success of the Discovery program can be measured quantitatively and
  qualitatively. The program's evaluation has been designed to demonstrate
  compliance with licensing regulations and to collect and study internal
  program data. Internal data include documentation of all patient/client
  information, such as medical actions, intake assessment, treatment plans,
  counselor progress notes, and referrals. Other documents collected include
  reports on daily census, monthly admission and discharge, and quarterly
  and year-end site and programmatic reports. These reports contain
  information on client demographics, program volume and other program
  variables, service gaps and needs, and program outcomes.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  The program encountered some implementation problems. There was
  resistance to treatment from the correctional staff and the institution
  personnel. Traditionally, little or no meaningful treatment existed within
  the institution, and officers resented the presence of counselors as
  authority figures and perceived them as challengers to their own authority.
  Counselors resented the structure inherently necessary in institutional
  management. A relatively low initial census allowed for training and
  acclimatization of each group. Over the course of the first year, a mutual
  respect and tolerance evolved.
  
  Regarding the program's schedule, startup plans called for a 7-day, 7 a.m.
  to 8 p.m. schedule. Staffing was thin and supervision sparse. Within the
  first year, the schedule was revised to a 5-day, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m regimen.
  The change created a tighter routine during the week, with Alcoholics
  Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups during the evenings and
  assignments and leisure time on weekends.
  
  When the Discovery program's original grant funding ended, it was
  included in the DOC budget. The program was awarded a 4-year grant,
  renewable for 5 years, on July 1, 1997.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  More than 150 women have successfully completed treatment. Each
  participant's length of stay is individualized to adapt to the length of her
  sentence. Women may go on work release and remain on the wing,
  becoming senior peers if appropriate. The program has been revised from
  a three- to a four-phase model. Women in medium security now receive
  group and individual treatment. Scheduling has been condensed to 5 days
  a week, allowing for a tighter, more closely controlled program. Women in
  work release are allowed to work nights, weekends, and some day hours,
  but are required to participate in the program for a minimum of 3 days a
  week. Recreation programs have been expanded; they now include softball
  and volleyball teams, a project in which inmates who are victims of
  domestic violence decorate t-shirts displayed locally, and a project in
  which women work on a panel for the national AIDS quilt. New projects
  in the program involve nutrition and food preparation and a Rhode Island
  Arts Council Grant to fund the design and painting of a mural for the
  program.
  
  No positive toxicology screens have been submitted to date, nor have there
  been any incidents of violent or other negative behavior on the Discovery
  wing since the program began. The program has created a model treatment
  environment with a positive atmosphere and is increasingly requested by
  inmates. The recidivism rate for women completing the treatment program
  appears to have dropped to approximately 20 percent, compared with 45
  percent for the facility's general population. 
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  The prospects for replication of this program are excellent provided the
  following factors are in place:
  
  o A prison environment receptive to treatment.
  
  o A willingness by the corrections administration to provide training and
  cultivate tolerance as treatment agencies begin assimilating into the prison
  setting.
  
  o Support from existing prison treatment staff.
  
  o Cooperation from prison classification staff who select and encourage
  women to participate.
  
  o Teamwork among institutional program staff and Discovery counselors.
  
  o A blueprint for helping women remain in treatment for as long as
  possible both inside the institution and after release.
  
  Institution staff are working on a regional training program for the New
  England States to facilitate information sharing among managers of female
  offenders.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Roberta Richman
  Warden
  Rhode Island Department of Corrections
  Women's Facilities
  P.O. Box 8312
  Cranston, RI 02920
  Phone: 401-464-2366
  Fax: 401-464-1842
  
  Maureen Simmons
  Program Director
  Discovery Drug Treatment
  Rhode Island Department of Corrections
  P.O. Box 8312
  Cranston, RI 02920
  Phone: 401-464-2129
  Fax: 401-464-1108
  
  -------------------------------
  
  South Dakota: Corrections Substance Abuse Program
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  Prior to 1988, substance abuse programs in South Dakota State
  correctional facilities were nearly nonexistent. There were three chemical
  dependency counselors in the entire system, which includes two prisons,
  two trustee units, and three juvenile facilities. The only substance abuse
  services provided in the institutions were referrals to self-help groups,
  reference and reading materials, and minimal crisis intervention services.
  Only two correctional facility chemical dependency programs had State
  accreditation, and maintaining that accreditation was problematic because
  of inadequate staffing and programming.
  
  In 1988, through the use of chemical dependency assessments and adult
  and juvenile offense histories, the South Dakota Department of
  Corrections (DOC) determined that a minimum of 70 percent of adults and
  60 percent of juveniles housed in South Dakota correctional institutions
  had alcohol and/or drug problems that were not being treated. Adequate
  community-based treatment services for individuals prior to or following
  incarceration were not available. The assessment data demonstrated that a
  majority of these individuals, if they were to be treated in
  community-based programs, would need inpatient treatment services
  because of the severity of their alcohol and/or drug use and the lack of a
  stable community support system. To address this need, DOC applied to
  the South Dakota Attorney General's Task Force on Drugs for funding for
  chemical dependency programming in correctional facilities under the
  State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Programs Anti-Drug Abuse
  Act of 1988. The Corrections Substance Abuse Program was also
  established in 1988.
  
  Since its implementation, the program has expanded, and it now provides
  a continuum of chemical dependency services for offenders throughout the
  State's correctional facilities. The program's staff includes 22 State
  employees and 3 part-time chemical dependency counselors. Of the 22
  State employees, 19 are counselors who provide chemical dependency
  treatment and related services, 2 provide clerical support, and 1 is the
  program's administrator. All of the program's personnel were employees of
  the South Dakota DOC from 1988 until August 1995, when they became
  employees of the Department of Human Services, Division of Alcohol and
  Drug Abuse. A memorandum of understanding was developed between
  the two departments to address supervision, funding, and program issues.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The goal of the South Dakota Corrections Substance Abuse Program is to
  provide a continuum of chemical dependency services to adults and
  juveniles sentenced, paroled, or adjudicated to DOC. These services offer
  offenders an opportunity to develop the skills they need to abstain from
  chemical use and to successfully reenter the community upon release from
  custody or supervision.
  
  To achieve this goal, the following objectives were defined:
  
  o Establish chemical dependency program units in six DOC facilities.
  
  o Complete thorough chemical dependency assessments of all adult and
  juvenile offenders who enter DOC facilities.
  
  o Establish a continuum of program components and base admission to
  them on the results of chemical dependency assessments and program
  availability.
  
  o Develop program format and content according to the characteristics of
  the chemically dependent offender.
  
  o Develop programs that meet the needs of females and Native Americans.
  
  o Gather, summarize, and analyze data for program evaluation annually.
  
  o Refer all adults and juveniles involved in chemical dependency services
  in DOC facilities to community-based chemical dependency services upon
  discharge.
  
  Program Components
  
  Assessments
  
  Assessment of an offender's substance abuse treatment needs consists of
  the completion of a variety of screening and assessment instruments, a
  structured interview, an analysis of the effects of chemical use upon
  critical life areas, and an examination of chemical use and criminal
  histories. Diagnoses are based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
  Mental Disorders: DSM-IV, fourth edition (Washington, DC: American
  Psychiatric Association, 1994), criteria for substance-related disorders.
  
  Intensive Outpatient Chemical Dependency Treatment
  
  Adults and juveniles who have chemical dependency diagnoses are
  eligible for outpatient treatment. The program ranges from a 60-hour,
  5-week program to a 100-hour, 6-week program, depending on which
  correctional facility the participant resides in. Programming components
  include educational presentations, group and individual therapy, and
  individual assignments based on the needs and goals established in the
  treatment plan. Outpatient treatment is followed by treatment in the
  institution component focusing on relapse prevention strategies.
  
  Modified Therapeutic Community
  
  This program offered at the Springfield State Prison, a medium-security
  unit, provides chemical dependency treatment to inmates grouped
  together in a therapeutic community. The criteria for entering and
  remaining in the program are chemical use, criminal history, and
  individual motivation and progress in the program.
  
  Specialized Programming for Juveniles
  
  In addition to the intensive outpatient treatment program described above,
  the following program components are available in the State's three
  juvenile correctional facilities: prevention education groups, pretreatment
  groups, and groups for juveniles who have been affected by the chemical
  use of parents or guardians. 
  
  Specialized Programming for Women and Girls
    
  Female juvenile offenders are placed either at the Lamont Youth
  Development Center, a correctional facility for girls, or at the State
  Training School, a coed facility with a separate cottage for girls. At the
  Springfield State Prison, a coed medium-security facility, women are
  housed in a separate unit and attend group therapy sessions covering
  subjects that include eating disorders, parenting issues, prenatal substance
  use, abuse issues, and codependency, as well as topics that are not gender
  specific.
  
  Specialized Programming for Native Americans
  
  Although a separate institutional treatment program for Native Americans
  is not available, chemical dependency counselors in all South Dakota State
  correctional facilities receive training on the "Red Road" approach, and
  topics related to Native American cultural and spiritual beliefs are
  presented during the treatment program. Voluntary programs such as
  People in Prison Entering Sobriety, sweat lodges, and powwows are also
  available.
  
  Program Content for the Offender Population
  
  To make programming more relevant to the needs of chemically dependent
  offenders, treatment offered through the program focuses on errors in
  thinking and cognitive restructuring using the Criminal Thought Process.
  This model addresses the unique psychosocial characteristics of offenders
  and is used in conjunction with materials from 12-step programs. The
  model's philosophical and practical emphasis is that chemical use and
  criminal activity are choices that can be confronted and disrupted
  throughout the treatment process and beyond.
  
  Case Management Services for Juveniles
  
  Before entering a juvenile corrections facility, adjudicated juveniles
  receive case management services in their communities. Services include
  chemical dependency screenings, assessments, and community-based
  chemical dependency services.
  
  Discharge and Referral Services Upon Institutional Release
  
  All adults and juveniles who complete institutional chemical dependency
  treatment are referred to community-based chemical dependency agencies
  for aftercare services upon discharge. Community-based services include
  aftercare, individual and family therapy, transitional residential
  programming, and case management. The purpose of case management is
  to establish treatment plans and sanctions for noncompliance through
  face-to-face meetings with treatment service providers, parole agents, and
  parolees.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  The final component of the program is evaluation and followup. Three
  areas of evaluation are conducted for both adult and juvenile programs: a
  participant evaluation of the treatment program, an evaluation of the
  participant's progress during treatment by the primary counselor, and a
  survey completed by Court Services for juvenile offenders and by parole
  agents for adult offenders. The surveys, which are completed 3 months
  following release for juveniles and 1 year following release for adults,
  contain the following information:
  
  o Where the offender is living.
  
  o Whether the offender is working and/or attending school.
  
  o Whether the offender is using chemicals.
  
  o Whether the offender has been tested for drugs and the results.
  
  o Whether the offender has reoffended.
  
  o How the offender is progressing in all aspects of the program.
  
  The results of the three evaluation components are compiled and analyzed
  annually by an independent researcher.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  Program Support. Since its inception, the program has been strongly
  supported by the Secretary of the Department of Corrections. She has
  fought for the creation of new chemical dependency counselor positions
  within DOC and ordered that substance abuse treatment programs be
  implemented within the State's adult and juvenile corrections institutions.
  Support was weak among some administrators and security staff. Staff
  from the educational and vocational programs were concerned that
  chemical dependency programs would reduce their time and programming
  efforts with inmates. However, as the program became operational, tension
  gradually evolved into adjustment and accommodation in all institutions.
  
  The efforts of program staff and the program's results were primarily
  responsible for diminishing opposition to chemical dependency treatment
  services. First, chemical dependency staff made an effort to cooperate with
  other institutional support areas such as security, food services, and
  medical units. They operated under the caveat that institutional security
  was priority and programming must conform to security needs. Second,
  security and other program staff noticed that offenders were easier to work
  with and more motivated to participate in programs after they completed
  chemical dependency treatment. 
  
  Institutionwide support for the program has expanded its range. Inmates
  who need chemical dependency services are now required to complete the
  recommended programming before moving through the prison system.
  Chemical dependency counselors now sit on inmate classification boards
  and disciplinary hearing teams and provide information to the parole
  board. In the State's institutions for juvenile offenders, where there is
  greater overall therapeutic emphasis, chemical dependency units are
  integrated into facilitywide programs and chemical dependency counselors
  are an integral part of the offender's treatment team.
  
  Criminal Thought Process Programming. Many of South Dakota's
  chemical dependency counselors came to the corrections system from
  community-based programs where they had infrequent contact with
  offenders. These counselors attempted to implement the same program
  content and philosophy they had applied in community settings and were
  frustrated with the results. To address this problem, all State correctional
  chemical dependency counselors and employees are required to attend
  training on the Criminal Thought Process, a practical approach to working
  with offenders that is based on criminal personality research and the
  principals of 12-step programs.
  
  Since 1992, the Criminal Thought Process approach has been integrated
  into all correctional chemical dependency program components in South
  Dakota, and training on how to use its techniques is required for all new
  corrections employees. Many counselors have become Corrective
  Thinking Specialists and are training others in the model. Parole agents
  throughout the State and many counselors from community-based agencies
  have also been trained in the model. In addition, Criminal Thinking
  self-help groups have been initiated in the prison system by inmates, and
  several inmates plan to implement groups in their communities after
  release.
  
  Agency Collaboration. When adults and juveniles who have been treated
  for chemical dependency are released from custody, they are referred to
  community-based agencies for aftercare services. Juveniles are supervised
  by Court Services officers, and adults are supervised by parole agents.
  However, correctional officials discovered a breakdown in aftercare was
  sometimes occurring when juveniles returned to their communities. They
  often did not contact the community-based agency assigned to provide
  their aftercare, and their court services officers either were not aware of
  the referral or need for aftercare or did not follow through when learning
  of the individual's failure to participate. Many adults on parole did not
  receive community-based aftercare services because funding for the
  services was not available and because parole agents were reluctant to
  insist that parolees attend aftercare services that they could not afford.
  
  In response to these problems, the following steps were taken. For
  juveniles, an interagency agreement was developed with DOC, the
  Department of Human Services, and the Unified Judicial System. The
  agreement delineated the responsibilities of each agency for making sure
  that juveniles released from institutions under court supervision would
  attend community-based aftercare. To treat the adult situation, a pool of
  money was made available for community-based chemical dependency
  services through the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. In addition,
  directors of State-accredited service providers signed agreements
  delineating their responsibilities and agreed to develop services specific to
  offenders. Despite these steps, however, instances still exist in which
  juveniles and adults do not receive needed aftercare services. Parole agents
  need more education on the nature of chemical dependency and the
  benefits of aftercare, and the community-based agencies require more
  information on the special characteristics and needs of offenders.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  Since its inception, the South Dakota Corrections Substance Abuse
  Program has reported these accomplishments:
  
  o Approximately 900 adults and 250 juveniles are assessed each year,
  and 550 adults and 150 juveniles receive treatment.
  
  o A continuum of chemical dependency services has been developed and
  implemented for chemically dependent adults and juveniles in all South
  Dakota Department of Corrections facilities.
  
  o A system for providing community-based aftercare services has been
  developed and implemented for adults and juveniles discharged from
  correctional facilities.
  
  o Chemical dependency programs in the State's correctional institutions
  have evolved to address characteristics and needs specific to the offender
  population.
  
  o The program evaluation and outcome data indicate that institutional
  chemical dependency treatment is successful. Court Services officers
  report that 59 percent of juveniles did not use drugs or alcohol while on
  supervision following institutional discharge. Parole agents report that 58
  percent of parolees had not used drugs or alcohol 1 year after release.
  
  o A therapeutic community for female adolescents in minimum-security
  facilities with chemical dependency diagnoses was implemented in
  November 1996.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  Replication of various aspects of this program could be accomplished with
  relative ease. However, much of what makes the program successful
  involves the formal and informal relationships that have been established
  within the State's correctional facilities and within and between State and
  private nonprofit agencies. These relationships evolve slowly, and
  maintaining them requires attention and coordination. However,
  interagency agreements that clarify the roles of each agency at the outset
  are good starting points.
  
  Copies of program descriptions, interagency agreements, Memorandums
  of Understanding, summaries of assessment data, and the program's FY
  1995 executive summary are available from the South Dakota Department
  of Human Services.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Laura Lewis
  Administrator
  Corrections Substance Abuse Program
  Department of Human Services
  Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
  Hillsview Properties Plaza
  East Highway 34 
  c/o 500 East Capitol
  Pierre, SD 57501-5070
  Phone: 605-773-3123
  Fax: 605-773-5483
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Wisconsin: Rock County Education and Criminal Addictions Program
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  Rock County, Wisconsin, is composed on an interesting urban and rural
  population mix. Beloit has a large African-American population and has
  experienced a decline in the heavy industry that provided employment for
  many years. Janesville, where the Rock County Sheriff's Department
  (RCSD) jail is located, is the home of a General Motors assembly plant
  and has a predominantly white population. The remainder of the county is
  rural, and nearly 10 percent of the county's population lives below the
  poverty level.
  
  Rock County has experienced rapid growth in criminal activity and
  increases in jail sentences. Rock County's crime rate ranks fifth in the
  State of Wisconsin. In 1994, 7,643 serious and 364 violent crimes were
  reported for a population of 139,510. Recent gang activity in the county is
  attributed to the area's proximity to Rockford and Chicago, Illinois, and to
  its convenience as a drug drop-path between Chicago and Madison,
  Wisconsin. Drug- and alcohol-related crimes now account for 80 percent
  of the county's total crimes. The number of criminal offenders housed at
  the Rock County Jail increased 400 percent between 1988 and 1991, and
  the average daily jail population from June 1996 through July 1997 was
  463. 
  
  Recidivism at the county level was estimated to be between 65 and 70
  percent when the Rock County Education and Criminal Addictions
  Program (RECAP) was instituted in November 1992, with the assistance
  of a U.S. Department of Education correctional education grant. RECAP
  was designed to reduce recidivism in Rock County by providing education
  and rehabilitation to incarcerated offenders through the expertise and
  professional commitment of three local agencies: RCSD, Blackhawk
  Technical College (BTC), and Rock Valley Correctional Programs
  (RVCP), Inc. RECAP partners believe that the county is the least costly
  and most effective site to reduce recidivism and that comprehensive
  programming is required to meet inmates' many needs. Single-approach
  programs are not effective in redirecting inmate lifestyles. Although only a
  4-month program, RECAP attempts to demonstrate the impressive effects
  that vocational and literacy instruction, on-the-job training, community
  service, and alcohol and drug rehabilitation can have on the lives of
  serious criminal offenders.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  RECAP's foremost goal is to provide a comprehensive educational and
  rehabilitation program to county inmates that significantly reduces
  recidivism. The objectives for reaching this goal are divided into
  program/operational objectives and educational/participant objectives. 
    
  The program/operational objectives are to:
  
  o Obtain and maintain the combined expertise of the law enforcement,
  education, and treatment communities.
  
  o Ensure that RECAP represents and is responsive to the needs of
  participants and the community by establishing a broad-based advisory
  committee that meets regularly to discuss RECAP issues.
  
  o Ensure that resources to meet the needs of the program are located and
  secured.
  
  o Conduct an evaluation of the program that measures program
  effectiveness and improvement and assists other jurisdictions with
  replication.
  
  The educational/participant objectives are to:
  
  o Provide educational and rehabilitation opportunities to approximately
  120 individuals a year.
  
  o Give RECAP participants opportunities for instruction and rehabilitation
  that will prepare them for a changed life upon release.
  
  o Conduct vocational instruction based on competency attainment in a
  variety of training areas including food service preparation, food safety
  and sanitation, custodial training, landscaping or lawn care, construction,
  painting, chain saw operating, and wildlife assisting.
  
  o Arrange community service and on-the-job training to participants to
  provide atonement, vocational training, and service.
  
  Program Components
  
  RECAP profiles for the past 3 years show an average participant age of 27.
  Thirteen percent of participants were female and 51 percent minority.
  Eighty-nine percent entered with a demonstrated drug or alcohol problem.
  More than 70 percent had not graduated from high school, and many
  required remedial instruction. 
  
  Male and female inmates housed in the Rock County Jail as a condition of
  probation, sentenced by the courts, and Huber-qualified (those with
  work-release privileges) are eligible to participate. The program is limited
  to 38 men and 8 women. Preference for admission is given to inmates who
  are sentenced to 120 days or more, are unemployed, have special
  educational needs, and have documented alcohol and drug abuse needs.
  Juveniles are not accepted into the program unless they are sentenced as
  adults. The program runs in 4-month cycles with an intensive 40-hour
  week schedule.
  
  RECAP partners share responsibility and financial obligations for
  delivering the program's services. The components and partners assuming
  major responsibility are shown in the box below.
  
  An advisory committee with broad community support that includes
  representatives of treatment, employment, educational, and organized
  labor organizations meets monthly, providing advocacy, advice, and
  expertise.
  
  To meet a need for training in upper level vocational skills, RCSD sought
  and received assistance and financial resources from the Wisconsin Office
  of Justice Assistance (OJA). To meet an evolving need for an alternative
  high school, BTC sought assistance from the Adult Education Act to
  develop the Scans High School Equivalency program. An aftercare
  component was proposed and funded by the State Department of
  Education/Correctional Education to address the unmet needs following
  incarceration.
  
  Vocational instruction is competency based. Certificates of skills in the
  areas of food service, construction assistant, custodial assistant, and other
  fields are given at graduation ceremonies. Alcohol and other drug abuse
  (AODA) group participation is an extensive part of the program.
  On-the-job training, community service, literacy, and employability
  instruction are also components of the program.
  
  Vocational offerings began with custodial, food service, landscaping, and
  other on-the-job training. More than half of the participants do not have
  any significant work experience. RECAP training compensates for work
  experiences that seventh to ninth graders in other circumstances often
  obtain as a part of their development. Employment opportunities in these
  areas are plentiful in Rock County. There was an unmet need, however, for
  higher level vocational skills that demand higher wages in the job market.
  As a result, construction assistant opportunities were provided through the
  encouragement and financial help from OJA. Community service and
  on-the-job training opportunities were expanded as well with OJA
  assistance. These additions to the program not only help inmates develop
  broader vocational skills, but expand public knowledge of RECAP
  through their visibility in the community.
  
  To successfully complete the program, participants must meet the
  following criteria:
  
  o Attend and participate in all scheduled class and group sessions.
  
  o Raise two or more grade levels in reading, math, or writing.
  
  o Complete or work toward a high school equivalency diploma, if needed.
  
  o Watch academic skills videos as assigned.
  
  o Complete a criminal inventory.
  
  o Complete an autobiography.
  
  o Complete a lifeline.
  
  o Complete a victim script.
  
  o Create an aftercare and relapse prevention plan.
  
  o Attend support groups.
  
  o Complete at least one on-the-job training.
  
  o Display appropriate work attitudes in all community service experiences.
  
  o Complete the employability skills course.
  
  o Achieve a final evaluation of 32 points or better.
  
  o Receive a recommendation from a RECAP staff member.
  
  o Fulfill probation and parole and/or court recommendations.
  
  The Inmate Review Committee meets weekly to assess student progress.
  The committee performs the following functions: intake review, progress
  review, termination or graduation review, exit review, determination of
  entry and exit dates, and establishment of a recall system that permits an
  inmate's case to be reviewed for progress after release. The committee
  comprises the treatment manager, the education manager, the jail/work
  release supervisor, and the jail liaison from the Department of Corrections.
  An inmate can be dropped from the program by the committee for
  possessing contraband, presenting discipline problems, absconding from
  the program, threatening staff, testing positive in urinalysis screens,
  showing a lack of courtesy, and refusing to attend the program.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  Staff collect participant and program information on a data system and use
  this information for program improvement. Data collected include literacy
  scores before and after the program, work histories, drug and alcohol
  histories, basic job skill levels, autobiographies, notes from vocational
  counseling, reports by participants, and written weekly evaluations by the
  participants' employers. The third-party evaluator uses these data and
  followup information to provide objective program analysis. Yearly
  reports are distributed for public information and internal use. A study of
  the program using a control group and participant followup was conducted
  during all 3 years of RECAP activities by the University of Wisconsin,
  Center on Education and Work. Among the study's conclusions were the
  following:
  
  o Compared with RECAP graduates, RECAP clients who completed less
  than 3 months of the program were twice as likely to have an unsuccessful
  probation outcome.
  
  o Compared with the study's control group, RECAP clients were 2 times
  more likely not to commit a new crime.
  
  o Members of the study's control group were five times more likely to be
  unemployed than RECAP graduates after release to the community. 
  
  o Excluding probation holds, members of the control group on average had
  twice as many contacts with the Rock County Jail as did RECAP
  graduates. 
  
  o Overall, after 4 months of training, RECAP graduates increased grade
  levels on standardized tests in the following subjects: reading (one grade
  level), mathematics (two grade levels), and writing (one grade levels).
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  All programs, and particularly new, innovative programs, have problems
  to overcome on the path to becoming long-term programs. RECAP is no
  exception. Problems that require creative solutions include:
  
  Obtaining Adequate and Ongoing Funding. Comprehensive programming
  requires a variety of resources and a large investment of time to meet the
  needs of inmates adequately. Companies use free inmate labor for 2
  weeks. Employers give a portion of the wages the inmates would have
  earned to the program in the form of a donation if they are satisfied with
  the inmates' work.
  
  Obtaining Individual and Program Statistics. Obtaining and maintaining
  program data, which are important elements for evaluation and program
  improvement, require intensive staff involvement and access to adequate
  computer programs.
  
  Scheduling Program Activities. Scheduling requests for inmates for
  community service and other projects requires extensive staff time and
  coordination.
  
  Maintaining Core Program Numbers. Designated program space
  determines the size of groups that can be served. Referrals from the courts
  are not always received in a consistent fashion, and inmates are sometimes
  removed for infractions. Every time the number of participants drops
  below the maximum number that can be served, the program cost is raised.
  
  Making Time for Communication. Considerable time is required to allow
  staff to communicate and build a stronger program. The Inmate Review
  Committee meets weekly to assess student progress, and the partner
  agencies are required to communicate daily with each other.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments. RECAP provided services to 327
  inmates in its first 3 years, and 49 percent of program participants
  graduated. In addition, 89 percent of individuals receiving assistance had a
  recognized AODA need; 56 participants earned a high school equivalency
  diploma (71 individuals partially completed an equivalency diploma and
  many others received literacy or remedial instruction); and 194 individuals
  met the requirements to complete the course in 3 years. As of July 1997,
  the program had provided programming to 521 individuals.
  
  Inmates also achieved the following accomplishments in the program's
  on-the-job training courses: 92 received food service preparation
  certificates, 53 received food safety and sanitation national certification,
  123 received custodial training certificates, 64 received landscaping or
  lawn care certificates, 41 received construction certificates (third year
  only), 32 received painting or chain saw certificates (third year only), and
  15 received wildlife assistant certification (first and second years only). In
  addition, from 1995 to 1997, RECAP participants earned 276 competency
  certificates in construction, custodial services, lawn care, food sanitation,
  painting, and historical preservation and renovation. 
  
  The RECAP/Alpha OJA construction grant completed its first year of
  operation, and 41 inmates completed the vocational program. Using
  community donations of building supplies worth more than $18,000,
  inmates constructed a large storage garage. The Scans High School
  Equivalency has been approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public
  Instruction and is assisting students. The county board funded RECAP for
  the interim period and included RECAP in its 1996 budget. County
  support in 1996 was $75,000; in 1997 it increased to $100,000.
  
  Each RECAP participant earned an average of 105 hours of community
  service, and program participants earned a total of 694 days of good time
  at a savings to the county of $38,170. The RECAP/Alpha OJA grant has
  enhanced opportunities that can be provided to inmates in this area. More
  than 11,000 hours of on-the-job training and community service were
  provided at 21 sites from March to September 1995. The number of sites
  remained at 21 in 1997.
  
  Reducing recidivism in Rock County is the core measure of RECAP's
  effectiveness. Second-year statistics showed a recidivism rate for
  participants of 17 percent as compared with the 70 to 80 percent
  recidivism rate estimated for offenders in the county before the program
  began. The fifth-year recidivism rate was 26 percent. According to a
  third-party evaluator, RECAP graduates are twice as likely not to return to
  jail or prison as those not participating in RECAP.
  
  Recidivism, academic growth, and vocational attainment are measurable,
  but do not provide a complete picture of program success. Other measures
  of success include:
  
  o Maintaining a qualified staff dedicated to change and motivation.
  
  o Moving from grant to county funding.
  
  o Continuing positive participant testimony and action.
  
  o Receiving public acceptance by the media, community, and employers.
  
  o Obtaining the dynamic assistance of a broad-based advisory committee.
  
  o Changing correctional officer attitudes toward education and
  rehabilitation.
  
  o Having probation and parole agents play an active and supportive role
  because RECAP has provided assistance to their clients.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  RECAP can be replicated nationwide with the expertise and commitment
  of local law enforcement agencies, community colleges, and the treatment
  community. RECAP completed its fifth year of operation in September
  1997. Partners are available to assist others with information and staff
  development useful in replicating the model. Since the inception of
  RECAP, the partners have advocated for its development in other
  counties.
  
  Along with staff training possibilities, many program materials are
  available for distribution. All materials have been field tested and have
  undergone numerous revisions. Dissemination materials include course
  outlines, AODA pretest and posttests, work contracts, student vocational
  certificates, SCANS high school equivalency curriculum, the RECAP
  participant handbook, and the RECAP manual.
  
  Results from the University of Wisconsin evaluation of RECAP will
  include a 3-year history of problems, successes, and recommendations. In
  addition, RECAP will participate in a U.S. Department of
  Education-funded research study on correctional education. The study's
  findings will be available upon completion of the project.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Erin Vince
  RECAP Program Manager
  Rock County Sheriff's Department
  200 U.S. Highway 14 East
  Janesville, WI 53545-9684
  Phone: 608-757-7991
  Fax: 608-757-7997
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Wyoming: Department of Corrections Honor Farm Wild Horse Training
  Program
  
  Statement of the Problem
  
  To reduce the excess of wild horses in Wyoming, the State's Bureau of
  Land Management (BLM) office developed a horse adoption program
  open to the public. However, because people were uneasy about adopting
  wild horses, the horses required to be trained. In September 1987, the
  Wyoming Department of Corrections (DOC) and BLM signed a
  cooperative agreement to establish the Wyoming Honor Farm, a
  minimum-security facility that gives inmates who have committed crimes
  ranging from simple property offenses to first-degree murder an
  opportunity to train horses and engage in personal development in a
  healthy, secure environment. The farm is located in central Wyoming and
  houses 150 inmates and 34 staff members. The first shipment of horses
  arrived at the facility in February 1988.
  
  The facility houses both long- and short-term inmates. Wyoming's current
  inmate classification system allows inmates to progress through the system
  to minimum-security institutions and to community placement over time.
  When this classification system began, long-term inmates who had been
  placed at the Wyoming Honor Farm facility were allowed to stay through a
  grandfather clause. Their presence gives stability to the facility's inmate
  population.
  
  Goals and Objectives
  
  The goals of the program are to provide a source of revenue, provide a
  unique opportunity for the staff to utilize the philosophy of the institution
  while managing offenders, provide legitimate work opportunities for the
  inmate population, and encourage and assist offenders in becoming
  law-abiding citizens in a respectful, principle-centered, dignified manner
  while exercising reasonable, safe, secure, and humane control.
  
  In pursuit of these goals, the program has established the following
  objectives: research the institution's physical plant needs for training and
  handling wild horses; select personnel to supervise the program; develop
  the training program; develop a mechanism for dispersing adopted horses;
  build trust, discourage lying, encourage individuality, and improve
  communication skills among inmates; teach anger management to inmates;
  and connect the program's philosophy to the State's institutional
  counseling program.
  
  Program Components
  
  The program was founded on four principles: respect, responsibility,
  cooperation, and communication. As the training facilities began to form,
  one of the program's most important objectives was selecting a training
  method and a program manager. A decision was made to use a nonrestraint
  method of training modeled after Ray Hunt's innovative training
  philosophy. The tenets of his training philosophy are:
  
  o Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult.
  
  o Be particular so the horse learns to be particular.
  
  o Try soft firmness instead of hard tightness.
  
  o Do not attempt to direct the horse's attention if you do not have it.
  
  o Notice the smallest change or the slightest attempt and reward the horse.
  
  o Know the difference between firm and hard.
  
  o Let your idea become the horse's idea.
  
  This training method was selected because it coincided with the way in
  which the inmate population is managed at the Honor Farm institution.
  Some examples of this institutional philosophy are:
  
  o Believe in inmates' capacity to change their behavior.
  
  o Give inmates legitimate opportunities to enhance their self-esteem.
  
  o Treat inmates with respect and dignity.
  
  o Treat inmates respectfully without compromising professional distance.
  
  o Do not impose rules, regulations, or regimentation that cannot be
  reasonably tied to the need to maintain order and security.
  
  o Send clear messages about behavior that is not tolerated.
  
  o Punish swiftly and harshly behavior that threatens order and security.
  
  Offenders typically classified to the institution have no experience training
  horses. Their lack of preconceived ideas about the process is a benefit.
  Usually, the horse teaches or trains the inmate. Horses experience
  problems during training similar to characteristics commonly displayed by
  offenders, and the training program attempts to address these problems.
  
  Anger. Displaying anger is an important part of many criminals' lives. By
  responding angrily to anything they perceive as opposing what they want,
  criminals attempt to control people and situations. The training program
  takes advantage of this situation by showing inmates that success can be
  achieved by remaining calm, listening to instructions from staff, and
  dealing with situations rationally. The horse demands that inmates behave
  calmly and rationally. The staff strive to make the right thing easy and the
  wrong thing difficult.
  
  Uniqueness. Criminals emphasize their complete difference from other
  people; they perceive themselves to be special. The training methods used
  by the program are the same for every horse and for every inmate, and
  when an inmate steps into the round corral with a wild horse for the first
  time, he feels the way that every other inmate has felt in that situation.
  
  Lying. For many criminals, lying is a way of life. It is incorporated into
  their basic makeup and feeds other criminal patterns. Habitual lying is
  more common than premeditated lying because the criminal automatically
  defines reality through lies. In the training program, the "show me "
  philosophy discourages any untruths. If the inmate states, "I can ride the
  horse and pick up all of his feet, the staff response is "show me."
  
  Trust. Criminals often do not trust others, but they demand that others trust
  them. Sometimes trust of others is sincere, but it is inconsistent. During
  training situations, trust is a serious issue. Survival of both the inmate and
  the horse depends on trust throughout the relationship.
  
  Counseling. All inmates are required to participate in counseling groups.
  Issues regarding anger, uniqueness, lying, and trust are reinforced by the
  counseling department in group situations. The program's philosophy is
  blended into practical application that benefits both the horse and the
  inmate.
  
  Inmate Incentive. Inmates in Wyoming DOC institutions are required to 
  have a full-time job assignment. Participation in the Wild Horse Training 
  Program satisfies this requirement. Inmates are paid from the Inmate
  Incentive Pay Fund, with rates ranging from $25 to $95 per month. With
  this money, they are expected to provide their own clothing and personal
  items, excluding medical expenses.
  
  Inspection and Dispersal of Horses. The inspection process ensures that all
  horses ready for dispersal meet contract requirements. The BLM project
  inspector checks each animal before it is adopted. The Honor Farm makes
  the horses available to the general public and agencies. Three public
  adoption sessions are scheduled annually. Federal and State agency
  adoptions are scheduled as needed.
  
  Results and Impact
  
  Performance Measures
  
  The program measures success by the following:
  
  o Number of horses successfully trained, inspected, and dispersed.
  
  o Number of horses receiving specialized training for adoption to
  emotionally and physically disabled children, U.S. Forest Service
  agencies, and the Boy Scouts of America.
  
  o Positive media coverage.
  
  o Number of inmates successfully participating in the program.
  
  o The progress inmates make in counseling programs using skills they
  have learned in the program.
  
  Implementation Problems and Successes
  
  Implementation problems were minor. Developing a contract and
  satisfying the Federal and State attorneys involved in the project was time
  consuming. A larger concern was providing adequate security for a wild
  horse adoption program open to the public and housed on the grounds of a
  correctional facility. To make security manageable, the Honor Farm
  developed a strict adoption system that allows the public to adopt horses
  three times a year.
  
  BLM originally asked that all horses assigned to the program be saddle
  trained. This meant that a person adopting a horse would be able to take it
  home, saddle it, and perform normal animal husbandry tasks. Saddle
  training, however, is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming
  assignment, especially for the inexperienced trainer. The desired length of
  stay for horses in the program is 60 days, but to meet BLM training
  requirements, they occasionally had to be trained for a longer period of
  time. To expedite the process, horses are now only halter trained.
  
  Successes and Accomplishments
  
  Success in the implementation stage of the program was due to the efforts
  of staff members who gave unconditionally of their time and knowledge.
  Daily team meetings were held from the time the program was first
  considered until the first horses arrived from BLM. All problems were
  addressed within 24 hours.
  
  Accomplishments to date are numerous. During the 10 years the program
  has operated, approximately 381 inmates have worked with wild horses in
  some capacity. The program has trained more than 1,600 wild horses.
  Horses have been adopted by the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona, New
  Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; the Boy Scouts of America; and the United
  States Marine Color Guard. The program trains horses to work with
  emotionally and physically challenged children at the State Training
  School in Lander, Wyoming, and the Kentucky Horse Park received 12
  matched bay horses to work with underprivileged and delinquent children.
  The experiment in Kentucky has been so successful that the horse park
  requested 12 more horses. In addition, interest in the training program
  from other correctional systems has been high. The Louisiana Department
  of Corrections has adopted 30 horses to be trained by inmates in their
  system, and these horses will be used to supervise maximum security
  inmates at the Angola Unit. During the past year, six horses were trained
  for the U.S. Forest Service, Bloomfield, New Mexico, and five horses
  were trained for the Girl Scouts of America. Additionally, five horses are
  being trained for the U.S. Forest Service, Pinedale, Wyoming.
  
  Media coverage of the program includes segments on TBS, CNN, and the
  Today Show, and documentary filmmakers from France, Germany, and
  Japan have completed segments on the program highlighting the program's
  benefits for both the inmate and the horse. The program has also been
  strongly supported by the private sector, which has made valuable
  donations of construction and training materials.
  
  Prospects for Replication
  
  Replication of this program would be difficult. The contract currently in
  effect will expire in October 1997, and no major changes are anticipated.
  BLM has promoted the Adopt a Horse Program so effectively that the
  public is willing to attempt to train the horses on its own. The original
  concept behind the program and the involvement of correctional facilities
  was that the training would make the horses more adoptable. Although this
  is still true today, demand for horses has increased to the point where there
  is no need for additional training to meet BLM management objectives. 
  
  The Honor Farm Institution developed a Registered Quarter Horse
  Program to take the place of the BLM Wild Horse Training Program if
  funding was exhausted and the contract allowed to expire. However, the
  program is being phased out because of weak local demand for registered
  horses. If local demands increase, the program will be reevaluated. If a
  contract can be secured to develop a training program in another
  jurisdiction, it is important to involve all departments of the correctional
  institution, ranging from construction and security to counselors in case
  management programming.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Tony Thornton
  Deputy Warden
  Wyoming Department of Corrections
  40 Honor Farm Road
  Riverton, WY 82501
  Phone: 307-856-9578
  Fax: 307-856-9015
  
  -------------------------------
  
  Bureau of Justice Assistance Information
  
  General Information
  
  Callers may contact the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center for
  general information or specific needs, such as assistance in submitting
  grants applications and information on training. To contact the Response
  Center, call 1-800-421-6770 or write to 1100 Vermont Avenue
  NW.,Washington, DC 20005.
  
  Indepth Information
  
  For more indepth information about BJA, its programs, and its funding
  opportunities, requesters can call the BJA Clearinghouse. The BJA
  Clearinghouse, a component of the National Criminal Justice Reference
  Service (NCJRS), shares BJA program information with State and local
  agencies and community groups across the country. Information specialists
  are available to provide reference and referral services, publication
  distribution, participation and support for conferences, and other
  networking and outreach activities. The Clearinghouse can be reached by:
  
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  Rockville, MD 20849-6000
  
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  eastern time
  
  o Fax
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  o Fax on Demand
  1-800-688-4252
  
  o BJA Home Page
  http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA
  
  o NCJRS World Wide Web
  http://www.ncjrs.org
  
  o E-mailaskncjrs@ncjrs.org
  
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