U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

Bureau of Justice Assistance 

Justice Assistance 

Residential 

Program 

Bureau of 

Substance Abuse 

Treatment for State 

Prisoners (RSAT) 
U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs 

810 Seventh Street NW. 

Washington, DC 20531 

Alberto R. Gonzales 

Attorney General 

Tracy A. Henke 

Acting Assistant Attorney General 

Domingo S. Herraiz 

Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance 

Office of Justice Programs 

Partnerships for Safer Communities 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov 

Bureau of Justice Assistance 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA 

NCJ 206269


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. 
Justice Assistance 

Bureau of 

Substance Abuse 

Treatment for State 

Prisoners (RSAT) 

Residential


Program


April 2005


NCJ 206269

Contents


Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

RSAT Program and Funding History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Program Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Changes to the RSAT Program


RSAT Program Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

State-by-State RSAT Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

iii 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 
Overview


According to a report published by 

the National Center on Addiction 

and Substance Abuse at Columbia 

University in March 2003, 80 percent 

of all offenders in the U.S. criminal 

justice system report having substance 

abuse problems.1 A study funded by 

the U.S. Department of Justice’s 

National Institute of Justice found that 

substance abusing inmates who 

completed treatment were less likely to 

be rearrested after release, particularly 

if residential treatment was followed 

with aftercare treatment.2 

The need for drug treatment in state 

and federal prisons and local jails is 

evident. The Residential Substance 

Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners 

Program, or RSAT, was created to help 

states and units of local governments 

develop, implement, and improve 

residential substance abuse treatment 

programs in state and local 

correctional and detention facilities. It 

also helps them create and maintain 

community-based aftercare services 

for probationers and parolees. 

RSAT grants are awarded to all 50 

U.S. states, the District of Columbia, 

and the 5 territories—American 

Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana 

Islands, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin 

Islands. (Throughout the document, 

1 

territories and the District of 

American tribes. 

operation. Each state determines which 

depending on the participants. 

sessions. States are encouraged to 

aftercare services. 

community to create programs in 

problems and prepare for reentry into 

“state” refers to all states and 

Columbia.) In each state, a State 

Administering Agency (www.ojp. 

usdoj.gov/state.htm) is responsible for 

administering RSAT funds and may 

award subgrants to state agencies, units 

of local governments, and Native 

As of July 2004, 300 programs are in 

model or models it wants to adopt for 

its RSAT programs; separate facilities 

in a state may use different approaches, 

Programs are available for adults and 

juveniles and males and females, and 

they can offer individual and group 

adopt comprehensive approaches to 

substance abuse treatment that include 

life skills development, vocational 

training, relapse prevention, and 

RSAT fosters a partnership between 

correctional staff and the treatment 

secure settings that help offenders 

overcome their substance abuse 

society. RSAT programs are structured 

to deal effectively with substance 

abuse problems, work with inmates so 
they may focus on their recovery, and 

provide staff and resources to address 

all aspects of substance abusing 

behavior.

By providing inmates with substance 

abuse treatment, states not only help 

these individuals return to society 

2 

substance free and with skills to obtain 

employment and be productive 

members of their communities, but 

they also experience reduced costs to 

local, state, and federal governments 

by reducing drug-related crimes and 

the expense of incarcerating those who 

commit them.3 
RSAT Program and 

Funding History 

Congress established the RSAT 

Program under the Violent Crime 

Control and Law Enforcement Act of 

1994 (Pub. L. No. 103-322, § 1901).

The Bureau of Justice Assistance 

(BJA), a component of the Office of 

Justice Programs (OJP), assumed 

responsibility for the RSAT Formula 

Grant Program in October 2002 after 

the OJP Corrections Program Office, 

which originally administered the 

program, was incorporated into BJA. 

Through the RSAT initiative, BJA 

provides financial assistance, training, 

programmatic guidance, evaluation, 

and leadership to states and local 

communities that are interested in 

administering substance abuse 

treatment programs in their correctional 

facilities. 

Since the RSAT Program’s inception in 

fiscal year (FY) 1996, more than $400 

million has been provided for 

residential substance abuse treatment 

services. In FY 2002, $64 million in 

grant funds was awarded to all the 

states, and nearly 40,000 inmates 

received treatment services. In FY 

2003, BJA distributed more than $59 

million in grant funds. The appendix 

presents a breakdown of funding 

provided to each state from FY 1996 

to FY 2003. 

3 

allocated a base amount of 0.4 percent 

to the total prison population of all 

states. 

Program 

Requirements 

implement one of four types of 

States must coordinate with substance 

implementing treatment programs. 

Department of Health and Human 

Funds are distributed based on the 

following formula: each state is 

of the total funds available for the 

program. The remaining funds are 

divided based on the same ratio of each 

participating state’s prison population 

A state may use RSAT grant funds to 

programs: state and local correctional 

facility RSAT programs, jail-based 

treatment programs, aftercare 

programs, and postrelease treatment. 

abuse programs and the state alcohol 

and drug abuse agency, and the local 

agency if appropriate, in designing and 

They also must ensure coordination 

between the activities initiated under 

RSAT and the federal assistance for 

substance abuse treatment and aftercare 

services provided by the U.S. 

Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration. States 

also should coordinate substance abuse 
4 

according to the authorizing 

■ Last between 6 and 12 months. 

complete the program instead of 

returning to the general prison 

population. 

■ 

general correctional population in 

dedicated housing unit that is used 

■ 

problems. 

■ 

■ Conduct urinalysis or other reliable 

forms of drug and alcohol testing. 

programs who remain in the 

For a state or local correctional agency 

to be eligible to receive funds, 

legislation, its RSAT program must: 

Participants should have between 

6 and 12 months left to serve of 

their sentence so they can be 

released from prison after they 

Provide residential treatment 

facilities that are set apart from the 

either a separate facility or a 

exclusively for the program. 

Focus on inmates’ substance abuse 

Develop inmates’ cognitive, 

behavioral, social, vocational, and 

other skills to solve the substance 

abuse and related problems. 

Individuals released from RSAT 

and mental health services for dually 

diagnosed offenders (those who have 

both a substance abuse problem and a 

mental health disorder). 

State and Local 

RSAT Programs 

custody of a state or local 

government should also be tested. 

■ Give preference to subgrant 

applicants who will provide 

aftercare services. 

Jail-Based Substance 

Abuse Programs 

Jail-based substance abuse programs 

may be eligible for funding if they 

meet all of the following criteria: 

■ Last at least 3 months. 

■ Make every effort to separate RSAT 

participants from the general 

correctional population. 

■ Focus on inmates’ substance abuse 

problems. 

■ Develop inmates’ cognitive, 

behavioral, social, vocational, and 

other skills to solve the substance 

abuse and related problems. 

■ Are science based and effective. 

Aftercare Services 

States must give preference to subgrant 

applicants who will provide aftercare 

services to program participants. Such 

services must involve coordination 

between the correctional treatment 

program and other human service and 

rehabilitation programs, such as 

education and job training, parole 

supervision, halfway houses, and 
self-help and peer groups, that may 

help in rehabilitating offenders. 

States may use amounts received for 

aftercare if a state’s chief executive 

officer certifies that the state is 

providing, and will continue to 

provide, an adequate level of 

residential treatment services. 

Correctional RSAT programs and state 

and/or local substance abuse treatment 

programs are required to work together 

to place participants in community 

substance abuse treatment when they 

are released from facilities or have 

finished parole. Each offender should 

have an individualized plan, beginning 

when the inmate enters an RSAT 

program. 

5 

States may use up to 10 percent of 

Postrelease Treatment 

their total RSAT award for treatment 

of parolees for up to 1 year after they 

have been released from a correctional 

facility. 
Program Components


Although each RSAT program is 

different, they share many of the 

same components. Individual and 

group counseling sessions that often 

include peer feedback and self-help 

groups are provided as part of both inprison and aftercare programs. Below 

are some elements that most programs 

in prisons and jails and aftercare 

services provide to offenders. 

In-Prison Programs 

RSAT programs in prisons and jails 

educate inmates about substance abuse, 

including its consequences, the 

addiction cycle, recovery, the 

relationship of alcohol and drug abuse 

to other problems, and how to work 

through denial of and blaming others 

for abuse problems. They help 

participants understand behaviors such 

as anger, criminal thinking, and poor 

skill and habit development. They 

teach offenders how to manage anger, 

stress, and emotions; resolve conflicts; 

and set goals and boundaries. They 

help participants develop social, 

communication, and coping skills. 

Some programs reinforce positive 

behaviors instead of focusing on 

negative ones. 

7 

include 12-step programs such as 

A popular treatment module is 

solving skills. 

essential to programs for females. 

topics such as codependent 

relationships and eating disorders. 

issues such as domestic violence, 

Relapse prevention is taught in many, 

if not all, RSAT programs. Many also 

Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics 

Anonymous. 

“Thinking for a Change,” an integrated 

cognitive behavior curriculum that 

concentrates on cognitive restructuring 

and developing social and problemGender-responsive treatment is 

These programs educate women and 

girls about self-esteem, selfsufficiency, and wellness and discuss 

Many programs include components 

that address parenting and family 

relationships, and communication. 

Family therapy may be offered. 

Participants learn life skills and receive 

educational, vocational, and 

employment assistance. These include 

financial management, General 

Educational Development (GED) 

courses, and job training. Some 

programs, particularly those that work 
8 

When aftercare services are not part of

resources and aftercare and social 

services.

Aftercare Services

Aftercare services funded through

diagnosed offenders.

RSAT programs include prerelease 

planning, transitional services, and 

intensive case management to help 

offenders reenter their communities. 

Participants help case managers 

develop individual treatment plans. 

RSAT programs help participants find

transitional housing or halfway houses.

an RSAT program, offenders are 

provided with links to community 

RSAT include substance abuse and 

with juveniles, require offenders to 

keep a daily journal. Some offer work 

release programs. 

Many offenders undergo psychological 

testing. Mental health services are 

provided in many programs, especially 

those that are exclusively for dually 

family counseling to help inmates 

continue in their recovery. To help 

participants reenter society, many 

continue to include 12-step programs. 

Participants receive life skills, 

employment, and vocational training 

and job placement. Many aftercare 

services provide for or help with 

childcare and transportation and offer 

housing assistance. Some help with 

medical care, including mental health 

treatment and intervention. 

Regular communication between 

treatment staff/case managers and 

offenders, as well as with family 

members if appropriate, is an 

important component that can help 

inmates in their recovery. Mentors, role 

models, sponsors, and peer support 

groups also are invaluable in this 

effort. Offenders’ frequent contact with 

these individuals can help them 

develop new friendships, find 

substance-free recreational interests, 

and avoid people, places, and things 

that may entice them to again use 

drugs. 
Changes to the RSAT Program


Several changes were made to the 

RSAT Program beginning with the 

FY 2003 awards. 

Jail-Based Substance 

Abuse Programs

Pursuant to Public Law 107-273 

(§ 2001), the Department of Justice 

Appropriations Authorization Act, 10 

percent of RSAT funds must be passed 

through to local agencies to establish 

jail-based substance abuse programs 

(JSAPs). This statutory change allows 

a significant, unserved segment of the 

correctional population—short-term 

state or local offenders in local jails— 

to receive substance abuse treatment 

and will help to smooth their transition 

back to their communities. (See the 

Program Requirements chapter for the 

criteria JSAPs must include to be 

eligible for funding.) 

Below are some examples of 

successful JSAPs. 

■ Cook County Jail: A study of 

participants in the Integrated 

Multiphasic Program of Assessment 

and Comprehensive Treatment, or 

IMPACT, found that the rate of 

rearrests decreased with the length 

of stay in the program. IMPACT is 

9 

a residential drug treatment 

program located in the Cook 

February 1991. Of the 453 inmates 

release for those inmates who 

4 

■ 

August 2000 at the Henrico County 

focuses on wellness and inmates’ 

approximately $50 per month per 

the 36-bed program Project Fresh 

program called Project Hope; and 

County Jail in Chicago, Illinois that 

began accepting inmates in 

who were in IMPACT, those who 

left it within the first month were 

rearrested on average within 99 

days of release, compared with an 

average of 178 days following 

stayed in the program at least 3 but 

not more than 5 months. The 

program achieved a 51 percent 

reduction in recidivism.

Henrico County Regional Jail East: 

Recovery in a Secure Environment 

(RISE), a social model recovery 

program, was implemented in 

Regional Jail East located near 

Richmond, Virginia. The program 

potential and addresses addictive 

and other problem behaviors. Up to 

600 inmates per year receive an 

average of 3 months of addiction 

recovery services, with a cost of 

inmate. RISE began at the jail with 

Start; expanded with a 44-bed 

added a 36-bed program called New 
Direction: A Successful Living 

Program, which focuses on life 

skills, transition and reentry issues, 

relapse prevention, and community 

contribution. A fourth RISE 

program is currently planned for 

Henrico County Jail West.5

■ Semiannual progress reports are no 

longer required. 

■ In-kind, instead of all-cash, matches 

are now permitted. 

■ Grantees are allowed to select the 

10 

Streamlining 

requirements and incorporate statutory 

program management instead of on 

2003: 

■ 

1 year to match the project period 

Assistance Grant Program. 

BJA made other changes to streamline 

changes to allow states to focus on 

administrative work. The following 

specific changes were made in April 

The project period was extended by 

for the Edward Byrne Memorial 

State and Local Law Enforcement 

reporting cycle (state fiscal year, 

federal fiscal year, or calendar year) 

for their annual reports. 

■ Performance measures have been 

rewritten for shorter terms (e.g., 

1 year, not 5 years, after release). 

■ RSAT funds awarded during the FY 

2002 and FY 2003 appropriations 

can be used for postrelease 

treatment and aftercare services. 

■ A mandatory pass-through of funds 

was created for local jurisdictions to 

provide jail-based treatment. 
RSAT Program Evaluation


Program evaluations compare 

prisoners who have and have not 

participated in RSAT programs. A 

national evaluation and implementation 

and outcome evaluations have been 

conducted, which were funded by the 

former OJP Corrections Program 

Office through the National Institute of 

Justice. 

National Evaluation 

The national evaluation found that 

RSAT programs primarily used one or 

a combination of three treatment 

modalities: therapeutic communities, 

cognitive behavioral approaches, and 

12-step programs (e.g., Alcoholics 

Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous). 

Combination treatments, however, 

have not been fully evaluated; the 

evaluators noted that they may provide 

less effective treatment if the 

components are “watered down.” 

An obstacle that RSAT programs 

confront is the hiring and retaining of 

treatment staff. Correctional 

institutions are not allowed to hire 

individuals with substance abuse or 

criminal backgrounds, but many 

therapeutic communities outside their 

facilities use recovering program 

graduates in mentoring and staff roles. 

11 

6

State-Level 

Evaluations

inmates who complete treatment are

Inmates who complete treatment are less likely 

to be rearrested or placed on a higher custody 

level. Aftercare treatment also was associated

Other obstacles are low staff salaries 

and travel costs to isolated and

unattractive prison locations.

A meta-analysis of evaluations at 12 

RSAT sites found positive outcomes 

from in-prison substance abuse 

treatment. One important factor is that

less likely to be rearrested or placed on

a higher custody level. Aftercare 

treatment also was associated with 

lower levels of recidivism and relapse.

RSAT programs increase offenders’

self-esteem, decisionmaking, and selfefficacy and reduce their levels of 

anxiety, depression, risk taking, and 

hostility. Cognitive distortions (e.g., 

self-centeredness, blaming others, 

minimizing, assuming the worst) were 

also significantly reduced.

with lower levels of recidivism and relapse. RSAT 

programs increase offenders’ self-esteem, 

decisionmaking, and self-efficacy and reduce 

their levels of anxiety, depression, risk taking, 

and hostility. 
Women offenders. Many RSAT 

programs serve women offenders, 

although they are a much smaller 

proportion of the drug-offender 

population. Both therapeutic 

communities and cognitive behaviororiented therapy have produced 

12 

community-based treatment and 

respect to postrelease drug use, 

psychological functioning. 

between services needed and services 

residential aftercare services that 

positive outcomes for women. 

Evaluations indicate that RSAT 

participants are significantly less likely 

to be arrested and/or convicted than 

women in comparison groups. A 

woman’s probability of being 

reincarcerated significantly decreased 

with the more treatment she received 

(e.g., RSAT only, RSAT and links to 

services during parole). Further, the 

study found favorable differences for 

RSAT program participants with 

employment, parenting, and 

Evaluations of women’s programs also 

point to specific and substantial gaps 

received. Incarcerated women with 

children have difficulty finding suitable 

accept children. In some states, women 

convicted of drug crimes are not 

eligible for training through welfareto-work programs, although these 

women often have a substantial need 

for employment and vocational and 

educational services.

Dually diagnosed offenders. An 

RSAT evaluation of dually diagnosed 

inmates pointed to the importance of a 

coordinated reentry strategy for 

prisoners. Offenders participating in 

the study experienced lapses and 

changes in medication prescriptions. 

The resulting physical or mental side 

effects and instability sometimes led to 

recidivism. Ensuring that dually 

diagnosed offenders comply with their 

medication regimen will result in 

mental health stability, which was a 

pivotal factor in reducing recidivism 

and helping offenders abstain from 

substances within 3 months of release. 

Findings suggest that increased 

coordination between institutional staff 

and psychiatrists in the community 

would be beneficial to dually 

diagnosed offenders’ smooth reentry 

process. In particular, institutions 

should address the important period 

immediately following release by 

ensuring that inmates have sufficient 

medication to last until their first 

meeting with a community mental 

health provider, transportation to a 

place of residence, an identification 

card, and other benefit cards. 
Strengthening 

RSAT Programs 

Several strategies were identified that 

may strengthen RSAT programs in the 

future: 

■ Ensure a commitment from 

Department of Corrections and 

prison administration officials to 

adhere to treatment program goals 

and minimize disruptions to the 

treatment process. 

■ Develop one underlying, evidencebased RSAT treatment model. To 

ensure uniform treatment for all 

participants, staff should receive 

specific curriculum training to 

ensure that they are familiar with 

the particular treatment modality 

selected for the program. 

■ Focus on providing coordinated 

13 

treatment and reentry into the 

services for offender aftercare 

community.
State-by-State RSAT Activities


Following are descriptions of 

activities that have been funded 

under the RSAT Program in each state, 

the District of Columbia, and the five 

territories. 

Some reports are for FY 2003; others 

are for FY 2002. Some include 

cumulative data for all years RSAT has 

been in existence in a state. 

The descriptions vary from state to 

state because they were drawn from 

various reports provided—including 

annual performance reports and annual 

project-level evaluation reports—each 

of which included different 

information. 

The RSAT program reporting forms 

uniformly asked that the following 

information be provided for those 

offenders who successfully completed 

the program: the number who 

remained drug free and arrest free in 

the residential and aftercare programs, 

and the number who have stayed arrest 

free at least 1 year after their release 

from aftercare. 

15 

Alabama 

Funding total: $8,191,390 

inmates successfully completed the 

had drug-free aftercare dorms and a 

a 12-step program. In the second 

issues closely related to substance 

urinalysis testing to check its inmates 

for drug use both in the residential 

In FY 2003, 871 adult male and female 

program in Alabama. Each of the eight 

prisons at which RSAT was conducted 

work release center to house offenders. 

The treatment provided is 6–8 months 

long and is divided into three phases. 

In the first phase, the inmates are in 

drug treatment full time and partake in 

activities that help them recognize the 

consequences of drug use, understand 

the addiction cycle, and understand the 

recovery cycle while working through 

phase, the inmates discuss recovery 

abuse, including anger, relationships, 

and poor skill/habit development. 

Finally, during the third phase, the 

inmates receive relapse prevention and 

aftercare planning, coupled with 

development of work skills and habits 

in preparation for working at a daily 

aftercare program. Alabama’s RSAT 

program also regularly conducts 
program and after completion as long 

as the inmates remain in the custody of 

the state. 

Alaska 

Funding total: $2,264,111 

16 

meeting all of the program 

free and 97 percent stayed drug free 

remained drug and arrest free while 

Recognizing the importance of 

community aftercare services for the 

aftercare services so participants could 

continue to support each other in their 

a transition counselor who assists the 

aftercare services in his or her 

Overall, 140 adult females have 

successfully completed Alaska’s 

program, which began in 1998, by 

requirements. All of them stayed arrest 

while receiving services. A total of 138 

women have been connected to 

community substance abuse treatment 

programs for aftercare services. For 

adult males, whose program opened in 

2000, 73 have completed RSAT and 

receiving treatment. 

bridging the RSAT Program with 

participants, the State of Alaska 

recently added a halfway house to its 

recovery. In addition, the discharge 

planning process begins 3 months prior 

to the offender graduating and includes 

offender in making arrangements for 

community. 

American Samoa 

Funding total: $1,462,254 

The RSAT program continues to be 

implemented at American Samoa’s 

Tafuna Correctional Facility. The goals 

of the program are to provide the best 

possible treatment services for eligible 

clients, counseling in specialized areas, 

periodic drug and alcohol testing, 

preparation for integration back into 

the community, and aftercare services 

and monitoring after release. 

Program admission and enrollment are 

limited to a minimum of 6 months and 

a maximum of 12 months. When a 

client’s time within the program is 

complete, the warden receives a report 

with recommendations pertaining to 

the positive and negative findings for 

each client. Also, local probation and 

parole officials contribute in 

monitoring the offenders allowed to 

take part in early release and work 

furlough programs. 

Arizona 

Funding total: $8,485,815 

Overall, 2,036 inmates—adult and 

juvenile males and females—graduated 

from one of Arizona’s seven in-prison 

programs, and between 88 and 100 

percent stayed drug free while 

receiving treatment. The four programs 

for juvenile offenders reported that 

1,747 successfully completed an 
aftercare program, with between 57 

and 97 percent staying drug free while 

receiving services. 

Arizona used its FY 2003 grant to help 

fund 10 programs; 2 of the 3 aftercareonly programs opened in July 2003. 

One program treats substance abusing 

sex offenders. 

A total of 569 offenders successfully 

completed an RSAT-funded program in 

FY 2003, and between 81 and 100 

percent tested negative for drugs while 

in treatment. Of the 475 juveniles who 

finished aftercare, between 30 and 98 

percent did not use drugs during their 

time in the program. 

Two RSAT-funded programs in 

Arizona are the Men in Recovery and 

Women in Recovery programs. One 

component of these programs 

emphasizes family interaction and 

reunification and reinforces family 

unity and inmates’ roles as parents. It 

focuses on parenting skills, rebuilding 

family relationships, and 

communication, and it offers labs that 

allow participants to interact with their 

children as well as other family 

members. 

The Arizona Department of 

Corrections and the Arizona Cactus 

Pine Girl Scout Council support “Girl 

Scouts Beyond Bars”—inmates and 

their daughters participating in girl 

scouting activities in the prison—for 

the Women in Recovery program. 

The Black Canyon School Recovery 

Unit for juvenile females offers a 

program called Artists in Residence. 

During the fiscal year, nationally 

recognized artists serve as mentors to 

the girls during two 12-week seminars. 

Another activity is the Challenge 

Course, which is a maze of poles, 

ropes, and cables. It requires a group 

17 

accomplishment. 

learning in treatment and presented it 

Arkansas 

Funding total: $4,480,507 

Community Correction (DCC) 

female adult special needs residents. 

secondary diagnosis of mental 

Correction (DOC) currently runs three 

to work together to solve problems and 

help one another overcome perceived 

limits, and it gives the girls a sense of 

Staff of the Catalina Mountain School 

Recovery Unit for juvenile males 

conduct a fine arts program. The boys 

created a video entitled “A Day in the 

Life of Recovery” in which they 

discussed what they were doing and 

to their families at a Family Day. For 

another project, “Self Portrait,” the 

youth used photography, visual arts, 

poetry, and prose to create views of 

themselves that they presented to their 

families. 

The Arkansas Department of 

supports two RSAT-funded programs 

that provide 100 beds for male and 

Most offenders have a primary 

diagnosis of substance abuse and a 

disorders. The Department of 

programs with 215 available beds for 

men and women. 
Arkansas requires offenders to have a

residence and employment as 

conditions for parole. The aftercare 

program administered by Health 

Resources of Arkansas (HRA), called 

Parole Release & Independent 

Development Effort, or PRIDE, gives

18 

outpatient/residential slots at its 

a poultry-processing plant. 

DOC and DCC programs stayed arrest 

free and approximately 99 percent of 

DOC and 84 percent of DCC graduates 

services. 

completed the Special Needs Program 

and were released to community 

supervision or unconditional release. 

All 180 urinalysis tests administered 

while residents were in a DCC 

hire a part-time interpreter for deaf and 

RSAT graduates first priority for 10 

substance abuse treatment center and 

for 10 efficiency apartments when they 

are ready for outpatient care. Offenders 

also obtain full-time employment with 

Overall, 1,087 adult and juvenile 

offenders have successfully completed 

an RSAT-funded program. All of the 

offenders who graduated from the 

remained drug free while receiving 

In FY 2003, 31 residents successfully 

program were negative. A 36-month 

recidivism study found that treatment 

worked for 84 percent. 

Funds from the FY 2003 RSAT grant 

were used to add a new facility for 

women that also has aftercare, 

purchase a five-station computer lab, 

hard of hearing participants, and 

intensify cross-training for treatment 

and security staff about how to work 

with special needs residents.

California 

Funding total: $44,086,489 

California’s programs are for adult 

male and female and juvenile inmates. 

In all, 9,762 offenders successfully 

completed an RSAT-funded program. 

During FY 2002, California had 5 

RSAT projects representing 14 sites; a 

total of 3,752 offenders completed 

their treatment. 

The Orange County Probation 

Department continued its New Century 

Education Lab, which was set up in 

April 2000. The 12 workstations 

provide diagnostic, prescriptive, and 

instructional education components 

and improve reading and math skills. 

The average developmental gain 

showed by the participants has been 

more than one semester. 

The RSAT program administered by 

the Riverside County Sheriff’s 

Department provides study courses for 

all adult male and female inmates who 

do not have a high school or General 

Educational Development (GED) 

diploma to help them earn a GED. 
Colorado 

Funding total: $5,631,587 

In FY 2003, Colorado provided 

substance abuse treatment through 

seven programs. The RSAT funding 

was the primary resource for intensive 

drug treatment programs for offenders 

in Colorado. A total of 248 offenders 

have graduated from an RSAT 

program. 

The RSAT Program at Arrowhead 

Correctional Facility, a 96-bed 

therapeutic community (TC) project, 

has dedicated work sites, such as a 

greenhouse, beekeeping, and tilapia 

ponds, as well as more usual work 

sites, such as the kitchen and 

housekeeping. 

For offenders in community 

corrections, the University of Colorado 

Health Sciences Center, Addiction 

Research and Treatment Services 

project provides a counselor-in-training 

program for individuals who are 

interested in becoming employees after 

they successfully complete treatment 

and are discharged of their sentences. 

During FY 2003, 14 participants 

successfully completed the training. 

Connecticut 

Funding total: $4,937,895 

Connecticut’s RSAT program began in 

FY 1998. The total number of adult 

male and female offenders who have 

successfully completed the program 

during the past 7 years is 1,524. 

During their time in the program, 99 

percent remained drug free and 100 

percent were arrest free. Aftercare was 

completed by 667 offenders, of which 

90 percent remained drug free and 100 

percent stayed arrest free. One year 

19 

been rearrested. 

completed the program in FY 2003 

totaled 243; all remained drug free 

year after completing aftercare. 

Delaware 

Funding total: $2,598,455 

services. 

after completing aftercare, 408 had not 

Adult offenders who successfully 

while receiving treatment. Following 

their release from RSAT, 110 of the 

243 offenders who completed the 

program were not arrested in their first 

Delaware’s RSAT funding has helped 

some of the 80 percent of offenders in 

the state’s prisons who have histories 

of drug use. To date, the total number 

of adult and juvenile male offenders 

who have graduated from RSAT is 

282, and all remained drug free while 

receiving services. Of those who 

completed aftercare, 88 percent 

remained arrest free after 1 year. 

FY 2003 was the first year juvenile 

males had access to RSAT. To date, 

discharged youth have completed 

more than 85 percent of their 

individual treatment plans. As part of 

its program, the Ferris School for 

Boys is implementing family therapy 
In the men’s program, inmates conduct 

several of the therapeutic activities as 

peer facilitators and co-counselors. The 

men’s program provided 125 beds, and 

the juvenile program supported 40 

beds.

20

District of Columbia 

Funding total: $3,247,273 

completed treatment in the District of 

outcomes of youth in the program 

through the implementation of a 

12-step program and educational 

the clinical director and composed of 

Florida 

Funding total: $19,917,500 

In total, 142 inmates have successfully 

Columbia, and 92 percent stayed drug 

free while receiving it. Thirty offenders 

completed RSAT in FY 2002; 90 

percent of them tested negative for 

drugs during their stay. 

Efforts are underway to study the 

and vocational programs. A 

multidisciplinary team facilitated by 

treatment, cottage life, and education 

staff has met to review the objectives 

and determine how to meet them. 

Beginning in FY 1999, Florida has 

provided treatment to offenders who 

have been diagnosed with dual 

disorders. A total of 714 offenders 

have successfully completed RSAT in 

one of the two state correctional 

institutions. 

The University of South Florida, which 

is recognized for its work in program 

implementation for co-occurring 

disorders in correctional settings, 

developed the curricula and provided 

ongoing consultation, site visits, and 

technical assistance. 

The residential community corrections 

program, which targets nonviolent 

offenders, has successfully graduated 

156 adult males. Juveniles who have 

successfully completed one of 

Florida’s RSAT programs total 304. 

Six of the eleven county correctional 

facility RSAT programs were opened 

in 2003. The programs serve adult 

males, adult females, and juvenile 

males; 772 have successfully 

completed their treatment. 

Georgia 

Funding total: $12,645,646 

Overall 1,851 adult and juvenile 

offenders completed an RSAT program 

in Georgia; all the inmates stayed drug 

and arrest free during their treatment. 

Regarding aftercare, 675 adult and 

juvenile offenders graduated; 96 

percent of the adults and 85 percent of 

the juveniles remained arrest free 1 

year after being released from 

aftercare. 
In FY 2002, a total of 459 offenders 

completed RSAT, all of whom 

remained drug and arrest free while 

receiving services. Those who 

successfully completed aftercare 

totaled 77. The Georgia Department of 

Corrections added 208 beds (a 65 

percent increase) and 12 staff 

members. One program moved into its 

own building, and a new RSAT 

program was started at the DeKalb 

County Jail. 

Guam 

Funding total: $1,256,781 

In total, 144 adult male and female 

offenders have successfully completed 

residential treatment in Guam, and all 

stayed drug and arrest free while in the 

program. Ninety-nine participants were 

successful in aftercare. In FY 2003, all 

23 of the inmates who graduated from 

RSAT tested negative for drugs and 

were not arrested during treatment. 

Hawaii 

Funding total: $2,409,466 

Hawaii’s men’s program was started in 

1998, and the women’s program began 

in 2001. A total of 202 adult male and 

female offenders have completed 

RSAT. Of those, 96 percent stayed 

drug free while in treatment; all of the 

men and 99.5 percent of the women 

remained arrest free. One year after 

leaving aftercare, 83 percent of the 

participants had not been rearrested. 

In FY 2002, 68 offenders completed 

RSAT; all remained drug and arrest 

free while in the program. RSAT funds 

supported up to 47 beds in Project 

21 

Bridge; 32 were for male inmates and 

been diagnosed with a co-occurring 

Idaho 

Funding total: $2,898,994 

successfully completed residential 

remained drug and arrest free while in 

194 successfully completed aftercare. 

31 men completed aftercare treatment 

88 treatment beds were added to the 

15 were for females. Five of the beds 

for females are for those who have 

disorder. Both the men’s and women’s 

programs allowed those who were 

eligible to work to find employment 

outside the facility. 

Since the program’s inception at one 

Idaho facility in 1997 and two others 

in 1998, a total of 449 adult and 

juvenile male offenders have 

treatment. All the adult males 

RSAT. All the juveniles remained 

arrest free, and 96 percent were drug 

free during treatment. For the men, 

In FY 2002, 137 men and 6 juveniles 

completed residential treatment, and 

successfully. During that same period, 

three facilities to increase their 

capacity to provide treatment services. 
Illinois 

Funding total: $13,144,535 

Since FY 1996, Illinois has graduated 

711 offenders. A total of 668 beds are 

available for residential substance 

abuse treatment statewide. 

22 

treatment services in 11 adult and 

the inmates stayed drug free while 

consistent for all years. 

Indiana 

Funding total: $6,448,335 

adult females. 

treatment in FY 2002 and across all 

years. 

During FY 2002, the Illinois 

Department of Corrections offered 

juvenile facilities. A total of 240 

offenders successfully completed an 

RSAT-funded program, 49 of whom 

were juveniles. At nine facilities, all 

receiving services; 98 percent of 

offenders in a tenth facility did not use 

drugs. These drug-free numbers were 

One Indiana RSAT program began in 

1998, one was opened in 2000, and the 

newest treatment program started in 

2002. Two serve adult male offenders 

and the third provides services for 

Overall, 600 participants have 

graduated from an RSAT program. In 

FY 2002, 142 offenders completed 

their treatment successfully. All of the 

offenders in the Westville Correctional 

Facility program for men remained 

drug and arrest free while receiving 

Iowa 

Funding total: $3,606,640 

Iowa implemented its first RSAT 

program in 1998. The five programs 

serve adult males and juvenile males 

and females. Those who have 

successfully completed RSAT total 

496, and 98 percent of them stayed 

drug free while receiving services. 

In FY 2003, a total of 139 successfully 

completed an RSAT program, and 98 

percent tested negative for drugs 

during their stay. 

The Fort Dodge Correctional Facility 

is one example of what the program 

has accomplished. It started a 6-month 

substance abuse treatment program 

composed of four separate blocks: 

addiction awareness, emotional 

management, criminality awareness, 

and relapse prevention. The program 

also includes 4 weeks of relationship 

impact/awareness, with a curriculum 

that includes the “Beat the Streets” 

series, “Staying Sober” module, and 

“Ernie Larson on Relapse.” Staff work 

closely with the offenders to make 

contact for continuing care upon 

release into the community. Contacts 

are made by telephone and letter to the 

various community-based agencies. 

Comprehensive discharge summaries 

are provided to those agencies and to 

the parole agent and work release 

counselors. When appropriate, 

information is provided to mental 

health professionals, as well as 

vocational rehabilitation services. 
Kansas 

Funding total: $3,854,489 

Adult males and females and juvenile 

males can receive treatment in Kansas. 

To date, 548 successfully completed 

the program, and all but 2 remained 

drug free while receiving treatment. 

All 228 offenders who completed 

aftercare stayed drug free while 

receiving services. 

FY 2003 was the first year the 

women’s program was in operation. A 

total of 127 offenders successfully 

completed RSAT. All but one who 

completed the program remained drug 

free while receiving services. The 54 

male offenders who successfully 

completed aftercare remained both 

drug and arrest free while receiving 

services. Of those, 36 were not 

arrested 1 year after they left aftercare. 

Kentucky 

Funding total: $5,611,331 

The Kentucky Department of 

Corrections runs three RSAT 

programs; two were started in 1997 

and the third opened in 1999. All 588 

offenders who successfully completed 

RSAT remained drug free during their 

time in the program. One program 

reported that 130 graduates of its 

RSAT program also completed 

aftercare, of which 67 stayed drug free 

and 56 were not arrested while 

receiving treatment. 

Louisiana 

Funding total: $9,733,858 

Louisiana’s RSAT program treats all 

types of offenders: adult and juvenile 

males and females. Of the 2,397 who 

successfully completed the program, 

23 

successfully completed by 165 

participants. 

Maine 

Funding total: $2,084,460 

98 percent remained drug free while in 

treatment. 

completed treatment remained drug 

program. 

Maryland 

Funding total: $7,863,970 

Of the 2,118 adult male and female 

for drugs during their treatment. 

2,073 stayed drug free while they 

received treatment. Aftercare was 

In FY 2003, RSAT was successfully 

completed by 437 offenders and 

aftercare was completed by 14. 

Maine’s program, which began treating 

inmates in 1999, has graduated a total 

of 144 adult male offenders, of whom 

In FY 2003, 99 percent of the 37 adult 

male offenders who successfully 

free while participating in the RSAT 

offenders who completed a Maryland 

RSAT program, 2,108 tested negative 
In FY 2002, all 240 offenders who 

completed RSAT remained drug free 

while in the program. Staffing 

improvements instituted by new 

management, such as hiring more 

senior psychology associates, reduced 

the high employee turnover rate,

24 

treatment.

Massachusetts

Funding total: $4,717,917

Public Safety currently administers 10

remained drug free while in treatment.

who successfully completed treatment 

stayed drug free while participating.

Michigan 

Funding total: $14,036,114

helped fill vacancies, and increased the 

staff’s level of clinical expertise. 

Employees began staying in their 

positions longer, which has provided 

offenders with more effective 

Massachusetts’ Executive Office for

RSAT programs, of which 6 provide 

aftercare. The programs treat adult 

males and females; 9,941 offenders 

have successfully completed RSAT and

In FY 2003, all of the 2,551 inmates

Michigan’s programs treat adult and 

juvenile males and females. Those 

successfully completing RSAT 

numbered 2,395. For aftercare, 279 

participants successfully completed the 

program. Of those, 93 percent 

remained arrest free while in aftercare 

and 91 percent were not arrested at 

least 1 year following their release.

In FY 2003, a total of 321 inmates 

graduated from RSAT. Of the 61 

offenders who completed aftercare, 95 

percent remained arrest free during the 

program, and 92 percent did not get 

arrested in the year following their 

release. 

Minnesota 

Funding total: $3,194,000 

Currently, three RSAT programs are in 

operation in Minnesota. To date, the 

three programs have graduated 252— 

112 adult females, 25 adult males, and 

115 juvenile males. 

The three RSAT programs had 74 

graduates in FY 2003. All of the 

women and juveniles who completed 

their treatment stayed drug and arrest 

free while in RSAT; 98.5 percent of the 

adult males were drug free while 

participating in the program. Of the 

104 juveniles who successfully 

completed the aftercare program, 98 

percent stayed drug free and 100 

percent remained arrest free while 

receiving services. Almost 50 percent 

still had not been arrested 1 year after 

leaving the program. 
Mississippi 

Funding total: $6,265,224 

Since RSAT’s inception in Mississippi 

in 1997, 1,439 adult male and female 

offenders have graduated from the 

program; 99 percent stayed drug free 

and 98 remained arrest free while 

receiving services. For the aftercare 

program, 943 successfully completed 

it, with 96 percent remaining drug free 

and 95 percent staying arrest free. 

Ninety percent had not been arrested 1 

year out of aftercare. 

In FY 2002, all of the 498 who 

successfully completed RSAT 

remained drug and arrest free during 

their time in treatment. For aftercare, 

339 successfully completed the 

program; 96 percent remained drug 

free and 93 percent stayed arrest free 

while receiving the services. One year 

after being released from aftercare, 89 

percent had not been rearrested. 

Missouri 

Funding total: $6,884,332 

The Missouri Department of 

Corrections operated two RSAT 

programs in FY 2002 that supported 

710 treatment beds. Since its inception 

in 1997, the Ozark Drug Treatment 

Program has graduated 3,417 adult 

male offenders. The Co-Occurring 

Disorders Program has had 243 adult 

male offenders successfully complete 

the program since it began in 1998. 

None of the men in both programs was 

arrested while in RSAT. None of the 

men of the Ozark treatment population 

was arrested while receiving aftercare 

services and 80 percent remained 

arrest free 1 year after release from the 

25 

program.

Montana 

Funding total: $2,389,693 

graduated from the program from its 

inception in 2000 through FY 2002 

stayed drug and arrest free during 

treatment. 

The Pine Hills program combines a 

strong resident program with a closely 

among an increased number 

6–12 months.

In Montana, all 44 juvenile males who 

Specifically, the Pine Hill Youth 

Correctional Facility (Pine Hills) is the 

state facility that receives the funds. 

coordinated aftercare component. The 

grant continues to strive to improve 

efforts to reduce substance abuse 

of juvenile inmates. The facility 

conducted cognitive behavioral and 

chemical dependency training for 

treatment and security staff assigned to 

the treatment unit, transition center 

staff, and juvenile parole officers. The 

facility also continued implementation 

of a therapeutic substance abuse 

program, including a cognitive 

behavioral approach, in which the 

identified offenders participate for 
All youth who are released from the 

Pine Hills program continue to be 

preplaced in an established aftercare 

program in or near their home 

community. RSAT funds are not used 

to maintain a structured aftercare 

program, but statistics are maintained 

26 

progress 1 year after release or 

Nebraska 

Funding total: $2,503,286 

which 401 stayed drug free during 

treatment and 396 had not been 

arrested 1 year after their release from 

release. 

Nevada 

Funding total: $4,172,573 

through the best available contact with 

the youth, youth’s family, and parole 

officers and by following the youth’s 

discharge from the facility. 

Overall, 415 adult male and female 

offenders successfully completed 1 of 

Nebraska’s 3 RSAT programs, of 

aftercare. In FY 2003, all 72 inmates 

who completed RSAT tested negative 

for drugs, and 68 remained arrest free 

at the 1-year followup to their aftercare 

The Nevada Department of Corrections 

operates two treatment programs with 

RSAT funding. WINGS, the original 

program, became operational in 1998. 

OASIS began accepting offenders into 

treatment in 2002. The two programs 

support 412 treatment beds. Overall, 

552 men have successfully completed 

one of the two programs. All of the 

offenders in WINGS stayed drug and 

arrest free and 98 percent of OASIS 

inmates did not use drugs while in 

treatment. 

In FY 2003, 94 adult male offenders 

graduated from WINGS and 92 from 

OASIS. WINGS inmates remained 

drug and arrest free during their time 

in the program; 98 percent of OASIS 

men remained drug free. 

New Hampshire 

Funding total: $2,232,098 

Since its inception in 2000, New 

Hampshire’s Adolescent Drug & 

Alcohol Program has had 86 juvenile 

males complete treatment. The RSAT 

program for adult male and female 

offenders, since it began in 2001, has 

had 889 graduates. The New 

Hampshire Department of Corrections 

requires all RSAT graduates to attend 

aftercare. 

In FY 2002, 24 juveniles and 148 

adults successfully completed RSAT. 

Of those, 99 percent of the juveniles 

and 99.8 percent of the adults did not 

test positive for drugs while in 

treatment. 
New Jersey 

Funding total: $9,476,560 

One of New Jersey’s adult male 

programs and the boys program started 

in 1997, the second adult male RSAT 

began in 1998, and the girls program 

opened in 2000. A total of 1,760 

offenders have graduated from the four 

programs. All the juveniles and almost 

all the adults stayed drug free during 

treatment. 

In FY 2003, 450 inmates successfully 

completed RSAT. Only 0.02 percent 

tested positive for drugs while in the 

program. 

New Mexico 

Funding total: $2,986,398 

In FY 2002, “Thinking for Good,” a 

peer-based literacy component that 

ensures that all participants have an 

eighth-grade reading level, was 

developed for all the state’s therapeutic 

communities (TCs). The Education 

Bureau tests the literacy level of all 

offenders who enter a TC. Inmates 

with reading difficulties who 

participated in Book Circles, a 

computer-based instructional literacy 

tool that is available at several 

communities, have shown marked 

improvement. Offenders who 

successfully complete “Thinking for 

Good” are eligible for SOAR— 

Successful Offender After Release— 

which helps participants develop jobrelated skills and provides assistance 

with employment and training through 

the Department of Labor. 

Male TC residents are encouraged to 

participate in the “Fathers as Readers” 

27 

maintenance treatment and long-term 

months. 

to participate. Graduates who are 

of Santa Fe. 

Funding total: $20,576,756 

inmates—991 in maximum security 

and 1,009 in medium security— 

program, which has been shown to 

significantly increase communication 

between incarcerated fathers and their 

young children. One TC offers a 

responsible fatherhood program. 

One RSAT program treats sex 

offenders, who receive treatment for 

both their chemical and sexual 

addictions. Participants receive 

relapse prevention after they graduate 

from the RSAT program. In FY 2002, 

the program was expanded to 18 

Meditation is offered by several RSAT 

programs for those offenders who want 

interested can receive postrelease faithbased mentoring from the Archdiocese 

New York 

In FY 2003, New York administered 20 

RSAT programs. A total of 2,000 

succeeded in finishing their program 

during the fiscal year. One of the 
programs administered by the state is 

for chemically dependent sex 

offenders.

A study of 2,340 offenders who 

participated in RSAT between 

September 1999 and May 2002, 

28 

that those who successfully completed 

graduates returned to custody 

the program and 23 percent who had 

graduates returned to custody 

North Carolina 

Funding total: $10,112,176 

and girls successfully completed the 

remained drug free while in treatment. 

ages 16 and 30 who are incarcerated 

including 1,188 who graduated, found 

an RSAT program were less likely to 

return to custody. After 12 months out 

of the program, 17 percent of 

compared with 20 percent who failed 

been administratively removed from 

RSAT. At 18 months, 26 percent of 

compared with 28 percent of failures 

and 30 percent of administrative 

removals. 

During FY 2003, 139 men, women, 

program in North Carolina, and 135 

Robeson County Addiction Services, 

for example, received RSAT funding to 

reduce recidivism rates for chemically 

dependent offenders in the Robeson 

County Detention Center. Chemically 

dependent repeat offenders between 

for 120 days and have a dependency 

diagnosis are the target population. 

Highly skilled, certified addiction 

specialists provide substance abuse 

treatment using best practices that 

focus on the total needs of the inmate 

for reentry into the community. RSAT 

funds have been used to intensify, 

strengthen, provide followup, and 

expand the program to the larger male 

population. Funding also will pay for 

individual and group therapy, family 

intervention, 12-step meetings, and 

followup 6 months after release. 

North Dakota 

Funding total: $1,882,606 

Since the North Dakota program’s 

inception in 1996, 422 adult males 

have completed the program. None of 

the inmates were arrested and 98 

percent did not use drugs while 

receiving treatment. At the 1-year 

followup after offenders left aftercare, 

72 percent had not been rearrested. 

In FY 2002, 75 offenders graduated 

from RSAT; 98 percent stayed drug 

free and 100 percent were arrest free 

while receiving services. All 22 

participants who successfully 

completed aftercare remained drug and 

arrest free, and 84 percent had still not 

been arrested 1 year after release from 

the program. 
Northern Mariana 

Islands 

Funding total: $1,629,466 

The Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands’ (CNMI’s) RSAT 

funded program. More than 97 

percent—1,749—remained drug free 

while in treatment. 

In FY 2003, the state administered 16 

RSAT programs, including 6 that were 

devoted to juveniles and 2 that 

program is located on the island of provided treatment to dually diagnosed

Saipan in CNMI’s Adult Prison 

Facility, Division of Corrections, 

Department of Public Safety. In order 

to qualify for the program, a substance 

abusing offender must be within 6–12 

months of release from incarceration, 

able to be in treatment for 6–12 

months, separated from the general 

prison population, and subject to drug 

and alcohol testing. 

The treatment program includes 

components of the therapeutic 

community model, which emphasizes 

accountability and responsibility. The 

program also is designed to be 

comprehensive and to include aftercare 

followup drug testing to ensure that the 

clients not only become drug free 

during incarceration, but also remain 

drug free once released from the 

system. Although there is no outpatient 

facility, the program does provide 

minimal outpatient counseling to 

alcohol and substance abusers. 

Ohio 

Funding total: $14,213,361 

Since 1997, 1,794 adult and juvenile 

male and female offenders have 

successfully completed an Ohio RSAT29 

inmates. Of the 461 inmates who 

a National Institute of Justice-funded 

Cincinnati. It compared youth who 

were in the center prior to its 

designation as a therapeutic 

community (TC) with youth who 

increased self-esteem and 

reduced the probability of being 

7 

Oklahoma 

Funding total: $7,448,582 

graduated, 441, or almost 96 percent, 

tested negative for drugs while in 

RSAT. 

The Mohican Youth Center was part of 

study conducted by the University of 

participated in RSAT at Mohican after 

it became a TC. The study found that 

youth who participated in the TC had 

reduced levels of depression and 

decisionmaking abilities. The program 

completion rate was 82 percent. Most 

important, the study found that 

“participation in Mohican’s therapeutic 

community RSAT program significantly 

incarcerated after termination.”

Oklahoma has 1 program for juvenile 

boys with 12 beds and 7 for adult men 

and women with a total of 839 beds. 

Overall, 2,388 offenders have 
successfully completed RSAT. One 

program tracks the success for the 

aftercare component. All of the 110 

adult females who graduated from the 

program stayed drug and arrest free 

while in aftercare, and 99 percent had 

still not been arrested at least 1 year 

30 

after their release.

completed their residential treatment. 

drugs and were not arrested while in 

academics and GED preparation in the 

Oregon 

Funding total: $4,222,364 

graduation rates since their project 

start dates. (Between 1996 and 2003, 

In FY 2002, 636 offenders successfully 

Forty women were successful in the 

aftercare program. All remained off 

aftercare, and 99 percent remained 

arrest free at the 1-year followup. 

During FY 2002, the Office of Juvenile 

Affairs began placing more focus on 

boys program. Academic achievement 

levels increased an average of two 

semesters, and literacy scores rose 1.8 

grade levels. The program maintains a 

“Culture Board”; each month, a 

different culture is celebrated with 

events such as meals, discussions, and 

study activities. 

Through FY 2002 in Oregon, 915 

offenders successfully completed one 

of the two programs that reported on 

the state has administered six RSAT 

programs.) All the inmates stayed drug 

and arrest free while receiving 

treatment.

In FY 2003, ADAPT, a jail-based 

substance abuse program, developed a 

strong mental health and family 

therapy component to assist offenders 

with dual-diagnosis issues and prepare 

them and their families for the 

transitional phase of the program. 

Family members must attend three 

family groups or individual sessions 

prior to any program involvement with 

offenders. 

The Treatment Expansion Program at 

the Powder River Correctional Facility 

(PRCF) increased alcohol and drug 

treatment services from 1 unit that 

served 50 male offenders to 2 units 

that serve 114. PRCF is the first total 

alcohol and drug treatment facility of 

its kind in the Oregon prison system. 

Pennsylvania 

Funding total: $11,342,076 

Two of Pennsylvania’s six RSAT 

programs opened in 1998; the other 

four started in 2000. Pennsylvania has 

had 1,642 offenders graduate from 

RSAT and 1,331 from aftercare. 

During FY 2002, 647 inmates 

completed RSAT and 525 finished 

aftercare. 
In FY 2003, nearly all of the facilities 

receiving RSAT funding were 

operating at capacity and functioning 

well. For example, the RSAT-funded, 

50-bed unit at SCI Camp Hill recently 

experienced success when a deaf-mute 

inmate of the facility completed Phase 

I. Success was possible because of the 

help of a staff member who knew sign 

language, a part-time interpreter, the 

cooperative efforts of the therapeutic 

community members, and hard work 

on the part of the inmate. 

Puerto Rico 

Funding total: $4,332,041 

Overall, 99 offenders have completed 

substance abuse treatment and 38 have 

been successful in their aftercare in the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 

Ninety-percent of RSAT graduates 

were drug free during their treatment, 

and 98 percent of those who completed 

aftercare did not use drugs. For both 

RSAT and aftercare participants, 96 

percent were not arrested. The same 

percentage remained arrest free 1 year 

after their release from aftercare. 

In FY 2003, 43 offenders successfully 

completed RSAT, of which 83 percent 

stayed drug free and 96 percent 

remained arrest free while receiving 

services. For aftercare, 95 percent of 

the 5 who graduated did not test 

positive for drugs and 96 percent were 

not arrested. Even 1 year after their 

release from aftercare, 96 percent 

remained arrest free. 

In a questionnaire, 93 percent of one 

RSAT group and 100 percent of a 

second group believed their admission 

to RSAT was positive, that project staff 

31 

All respondents in both groups thought 

for identifying high-risk situations; and 

Rhode Island 

Funding total: $2,176,443 

The total number of adult male 

for all years in Rhode Island is 598. 

free while in the program. 

All of the 96 adult males who 

calendar year 2003 stayed drug free 

were still arrest free 1 year after their 

release. 

had helped them, and that they would 

recommend RSAT to other inmates. 

they had learned to manage anger, 

feelings, emotions, thoughts, and 

frustrations; had improved their skills 

could avoid getting into trouble with 

drugs and alcohol because of what 

they were taught. 

offenders who graduated from RSAT 

The vast majority—586—stayed drug 

successfully completed RSAT in 

while receiving services. In FY 2003, 

the 25 boys who graduated from the 

juvenile program stayed drug free 

while in RSAT. Of the seven who 

completed aftercare, five stayed drug 

free and all seven were not arrested 

during their time in the program. Five 
South Carolina 

Funding total: $7,494,316 

South Carolina has three RSAT 

programs; the one for juvenile males 

opened in 2000, and the other two— 

one for adult females, the other for 

32 

one of the three programs. None were 

stayed drug free while in treatment; 

successfully completed their aftercare 

drugs and the same percentage were 

not arrested during their treatment. 

percent stayed drug free while in 

remained drug and arrest free while 

Program data through September 30, 

participants who completed the 

with almost 46 percent of those who 

adult males—began in 2001. A total of 

1,745 inmates have graduated from 

arrested during their time in RSAT. All 

the adult male and female offenders 

almost 98 percent of the boys did not 

use drugs. Forty-three juvenile males 

program; 97 percent stayed away from 

In FY 2002, 552 inmates successfully 

completed an RSAT program; none 

was arrested while in treatment, and all 

of the men and women were found to 

not have used drugs. Of the boys, 94 

RSAT. Ninety-two percent of the 15 

boys who completed aftercare 

receiving services. 

2002 show that the programs are 

having positive effects. For the men’s 

program, 22 percent of RSAT 

program were reincarcerated, compared 

did not receive treatment. For the 

women, 3.7 percent of RSAT offenders 

and 17.7 percent of non-RSAT inmates 

were reincarcerated. Only 2.3 percent 

of the boys who received treatment 

were sent back to the correctional 

facility compared with 60 percent of 

those who did not participate in RSAT. 

South Dakota 

Funding total: $2,294,943 

South Dakota has two RSAT programs 

for juveniles; the girls program, 

QUEST, opened in 1996, and the boys 

program, called Living Center A, 

began in 1998. The two programs have 

graduated a total of 220 youth from the 

residential component and 63 from 

aftercare. All remained drug and arrest 

free during their treatment in RSAT. 

In FY 2002, 60 youth successfully 

completed RSAT and 31 finished 

aftercare. QUEST had 24 beds and 

Living Center A had 36 beds available 

during the year. 

Tennessee 

Funding total: $6,896,230 

In total, 1,260 men, women, and boys 

have graduated from one of the five 

programs administered by Tennessee. 

In FY 2003, 360 beds were supported 

in the five programs. A total of 235 

offenders graduated from RSAT 

between October 1, 2002 and 

September 30, 2003. Two programs 

reported that 39 participants had 
successfully completed the aftercare 

component. 

In FY 2003, the Davidson County 

community corrections RSAT program 

enhanced its vocational program for 

those aged 18–24 through a 

partnership with the Home Builders 

Association. The program enables the 

Davidson County Drug Court to divert 

nonviolent felony substance abusing 

offenders into residential treatment 

services instead of prison. 

The Woodland Hills Youth 

Development Center program has all 

participants on track to receive a high 

school diploma. 

Participants in several of Tennessee’s 

RSAT programs perform community 

service. Shelby County RSAT 

residents use their skills in metal studs, 

house framing, and brick masonry to 

help Habitat for Humanity. Offenders 

who participate in a Tennessee 

Department of Correction RSAT 

program crochet blankets for children 

in abuse centers. Washington County 

participants have provided more than 

3,000 hours of community service to 

local schools and nonprofit 

organizations. 

Texas 

Funding total: $41,601,983 

The 12 Texas RSAT programs serve 

adult and juvenile males and females. 

In FY 2003, 943 graduates finished 

RSAT. Of those, 98.5 percent stayed 

drug free and 99 percent were not 

arrested. Aftercare graduates totaled 

250; 55 percent remained drug free, 60 

percent stayed arrest free, and the 1­

year followup revealed that 41 percent 

remained arrest free. 

33 

resulted in increased services and 

for those who need more assistance in 

Utah 

Funding total: $2,892,874 

All 789 adult males who successfully 

remained drug free while in treatment. 

Those who completed an aftercare 

program numbered 328. Ninety 

drugs during the aftercare program and 

88 percent stayed arrest free. One year 

percent had not been rearrested. 

In FY 2003, the Harris County RSAT 

facility expanded its contacts with the 

Texas Rehabilitation Commission and 

a U.S. veterans organization, which 

additional halfway house placements 

reintegrating into the community. The 

program also has a cooperative project 

with Family Services of Houston. 

Eligible RSAT participants in a family 

reintegration program receive 

assistance from the state’s Office of the 

Attorney General in addressing 

delinquent child care fiscal 

responsibilities and from family 

service counselors in working with 

inmates’ spouses and children. 

completed a Utah RSAT program 

percent continued to stay away from 

after their release from aftercare, 66 
In FY 2003, 191 graduated from one Virgin Islands 

of Utah’s four RSAT programs and 45 

successfully completed aftercare. All Funding total: $1,472,461 

the offenders stayed drug free during 

residential treatment; 91 percent did 

not use drugs, and 90 percent remained 

arrest free while in aftercare. Seventy34 

program at the Utah State Prison 

compared 80 graduates with 90 

Quest graduates were rearrested for 

were 12 percent for Con-Quest and 

nearly 26 percent for the control group. 

Funding total: $1,936,983 

Almost 85 percent of the 208 adult 

males who successfully completed 

free during the program. 

remained drug free while in treatment. 

four percent of offenders had not been 

arrested at the 1-year followup. 

An evaluation of the Con-Quest 

offenders who met the criteria to be 

included in the program but did not 

participate. Almost 29 percent of Conany offense within 18 months of 

release, compared with nearly 66 

percent of the control group. For drugrelated offenses, the rates of rearrest 

Individuals in the control group were 

almost 2.5 times more likely to have a 

new arrest and be returned to prison 

than RSAT graduates (81 percent and 

more than 32 percent, respectively). 

Vermont 

Vermont’s RSAT program stayed drug 

In FY 2003, 78 offenders graduated 

from one of the two programs 

administered by the state, of which 72 

The U.S. Virgin Islands had three 

offenders successfully complete the 

program during FY 2003. None tested 

positive for drugs while in treatment. 

All earned certificates for the five 

program components: anger 

management, drug education/addiction, 

basic HIV/AIDS education, domestic 

violence, and relapse prevention. 

Virginia 

Funding total: $9,464,106 

During the first quarter of FY 2004, 45 

offenders completed the program in 

Virginia, and all of them stayed drug 

free while going through treatment. 

The Virginia Department of Criminal 

Justice Services (DCJS) continues to 

support RSAT services to state 

prisoners in the adult and juvenile 

systems. DCJS awarded RSAT funds 

to the Department of Corrections 

(DOC), the state agency that manages 

the adult prison system, and the 

Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), 

the department that manages juvenile 

correctional facilities. 

DOC has nine therapeutic community 

programs in adult correctional 

facilities. Of these, there are seven 

RSAT-supported programs that have 

enhanced the residential substance 

abuse treatment bed capacity by 
approximately 800 beds. More than 

1,500 therapeutic community beds 

exist in the Virginia prison system, and 

more than 95 percent of them are used. 

DJJ provides a program for 16 juvenile 

female offenders in the Culpepper 

Juvenile Correctional Facility. 

Virginia has determined that the 

benefit of each inmate who completes 

the program and becomes a lawabiding, tax-paying citizen would, after 

1 year, add up to 10 times the amount 

spent on the inmate’s rehabilitation. 

Virginia has completed its program 

implementation and now plans to move 

into the maintenance and enhancement 

phase. 

Washington 

Funding total: $5,433,393 

Overall for two of the three 

Washington RSAT programs, 528 adult 

male and female offenders successfully 

completed treatment, and 200 

successfully completed aftercare. In 

FY 2003, 118 graduated from one of 

the state’s three RSAT programs; in 

two aftercare programs, 15 offenders 

successfully completed a program. 

West Virginia 

Funding total: $2,575,462 

West Virginia has eight RSAT 

programs that treat men, women, girls, 

and boys. Overall, 652 offenders 

graduated from one of five RSAT 

programs. In FY 2002, 337 offenders 

successfully completed an RSAT 

program. 

A unique feature of the program for 

juveniles is an assessment tool for 

residents who have a history of self35 

self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, 

become vulnerable to increasing their 

birth defect. Residents who are 

training and job placement services. 

Funding total: $6,448,792 

percent stayed drug free while 

completed the Mental Illness Chemical 

Only 49 percent stayed drug free while 

in aftercare; 77 remained arrest free. 

been rearrested 1 year after completing 

the program. 

cutting. These youth, when they cannot 

harmful behavior. In addition, the 

program began assessing residents for 

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal 

Alcohol Effect (FAS/FAE) because 

many of their mothers used drugs 

and/or alcohol while pregnant but the 

youth had never been tested for the 

diagnosed with FAS/FAE may receive 

rehabilitation services, such as job 

Wisconsin 

Wisconsin’s program serves both male 

and female adult offenders. Of the 254 

who completed the program, 98 

participating. Thirty-five men 

Abuse (MICA) aftercare program. 

Seventy-one percent of those who have 

received aftercare services through the 

Women in Need of Substance Abuse 

Treatment Program (WINSAT) had not 
In FY 2003, 96 percent of the 56 who 

successfully completed RSAT stayed 

drug free while receiving services. 

Twelve males who entered the MICA 

aftercare component completed the 

program; all stayed arrest free and 96 

percent remained drug free while

36 

arrest free 1 year after graduating from 

the program.

attending. Seventy-five percent of 

WINSAT aftercare participants stayed

Wyoming 

Funding total: $1,896,011 

Wyoming began the RSAT program at 

the Wyoming Women’s Center 

Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU) in 

2000. Up to 16 adult females can 

receive treatment at one time. Since its 

beginning, ITU has graduated 20 

women from the program; all stayed 

drug and arrest free during treatment. 

For the aftercare program, 95 percent 

remained drug free and the same 

percentage stayed arrest free while 

receiving services. 
Notes


1. National Center on Addiction and 

Substance Abuse at Columbia 

University, Crossing the Bridge: An 

Evaluation of the Drug Treatment 

Alternative-to-Prison (DTAP) Program 

(New York: National Center on 

Addiction and Substance Abuse at 

Columbia University, 2003). Accessed 

from www.casacolumbia.org/ 

pdshopprov/files/Crossing_the_bridge_ 

March2003.pdf on June 8, 2004. 

2. Lana D. Harrison and Steven S. 

Martin, Residential Substance Abuse 

Treatment for State Prisoners: 

Implementation Lessons Learned, 

NCJ 195738 (Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Justice, National 

Institute of Justice, 2003). Accessed 

from www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubssum/195738.htm on June 8, 2004 

(web-only document). 

3. Guy Schmidt, Drug Treatment in the 

Criminal Justice System, NCJ 181857 

(Rockville, MD: Office of National 

Drug Control Policy, Drug Policy 

Clearinghouse, 2001). Accessed from 

37 

(September/October 

2003):15–18. 

6. Harrison and Martin. 

submitted to the National Institute of 

www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/ 

publications/factsht/treatment/ 

index.html on May 10, 2004. 

4. Arthur Pratt, “A Summary: The 

Results of Substance Abuse Treatment 

Programs in Five County Jails— 

Studying Recidivism Two or More 

Years After Treatment,” American Jails 

(November/December 1998):59–61. 

5. V. Morgan Moss, Jr., “Recovery in a 

Secure Environment (RISE): Changing 

the Culture of Incarceration,” 

American Jails 

7. Jennifer A. Pealer, Edward J. 

Latessa, and Melissa Winesburg, 

“Mohican Youth Center RSAT 

Outcome Evaluation,” Final Report 

Justice (Cincinnati: Center for 

Criminal Justice Research, University 

of Cincinnati, 2002). 
Appendix 


Residential Substance Abuse Program Funding 

FY 1996–FY 2003 

State 

Alabama 

Alaska 

American Samoa 

Arizona 

Arkansas 

California 

Colorado 

Connecticut 

Delaware 

District of Columbia 

Florida 

Georgia 

Guam 

Hawaii 

Idaho 

Illinois 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

39 

8,191,390 

2,264,111 

1,462,254 

8,485,815 

4,480,507 

44,086,489 

5,631,587 

4,937,895 

2,598,455 

3,247,273 

19,917,500 

12,645,646 

1,256,781 

2,409,466 

2,898,994 

13,144,535 

6,448,335 

3,606,640 

3,854,489 

5,611,331 

Total Award 
Louisiana 9,733,858 

Maine 2,084,460 

Maryland 7,863,970

Massachusetts 4,717,917 

Michigan 14,036,114 

40 

Minnesota 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Montana 

Nebraska 

North Carolina 

Northern Mariana Islands 

Ohio 

Oklahoma 

Puerto Rico 

Rhode Island 

South Carolina 

Nevada 

New Hampshire 

New Jersey 

New Mexico 

New York 

North Dakota 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania 

South Dakota 

Tennessee 

Texas 

3,194,000 

6,265,224 

6,884,332 

2,389,693 

2,503,286 

4,172,573 

2,232,098 

9,476,560 

2,986,398 

20,576,756 

10,112,176 

1,882,606 

1,629,466 

14,213,361 

7,448,582 

4,222,364 

11,342,076 

4,332,041 

2,176,443 

7,494,316 

2,294,943 

6,896,230 

41,601,983
Utah 2,892,874 

Vermont 1,936,983 

Virgin Islands 1,472,461 

Virginia 9,464,106 

Washington 5,433,393 

West Virginia 2,575,462 

Wisconsin 

Wyoming 

Grand Total 

41 

6,448,792 

1,896,011 

404,063,401 
Bureau of Justice Assistance 

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