In 1996, the Prodigals Community Board voted to close the Prodigals House program and focus the limited staff resources of the ministry on New Salem . Prodigals House closed in July 1997. Residents of New Salem spend 78 hours each week in structured activities, including education classes, vocational training, support group sessions, substance abuse recovery and structured spiritual development. The Moravian settlement of Salem , with its emphasis on craftsmanship, education, communal living, and strict accountability serves as the primary model for New Salem, along with contemporary therapeutic communities. The increased personal responsibility that comes from structured spiritual growth and vocational training sets Prodigals Community apart from other substance abuse recovery programs.
Spiritual development is vital for the inner change for drug recovery.