The document discusses prison drug treatment programs and their effectiveness in reducing recidivism. It notes that over 50 federal prisons have residential drug abuse treatment programs with over 16,000 inmates participating. Studies have shown these programs reduce relapse, re-arrest rates, and drug/alcohol use post-release by 40-70% compared to untreated inmates. They work by addressing the cognitive and behavioral factors underlying criminal behavior and substance abuse. Officials now acknowledge the cost-effectiveness of such rehabilitation programs for reducing crime rates long-term.

1. Prison Drug
Programs

2. Repeat Offenders
 The therapeutic community model of
prison substance abuse treatment and
aftercare has been implemented in state
and federal prisons across the
country, significantly reducing recidivism
rates.

3. More Inmates,
More Drug Offenders
 incarcerated population increase by an average
of 7.8 percent per year
 62.2 percent of state prison inmates
 42.1 percent of Federal inmates report being
regular drug users

4. Federal Bureau of Prisons
 50 Federal Prisons have a residential drug abuse
treatment program
 16,000 plus inmates participate in the in-prison
treatment program
 13,000 plus participate in a community transition
treatment program

5.  reduce relapse
 reduce criminality
 reduce recidivism
 reduce inmate
misconduct
 reduce mental illness Treatment Studies
 reduce behavioral for In Prison
disorders
 increase the level of Programs Have
the inmate's stake in
societal norms Shown
 increase levels of
education and
employment upon
return to the
community
 Improved physical
and mental health
 improve relationships

6. Federal Prison Bureaus
Drug Abuse Strategy
 Drug Abuse Education
 Nonresidential Drug Abuse Treatment
 RDAP
 Community Transition Drug Abuse
Treatment (TDAT)

7. Residential Substance Abuse Treatment
Programs (RDAP’s) Base On
 cognitive-behavioral model which
attempted to identify, confront, and alter
the attitudes, values, and thinking
patterns that led to criminal behaviors
and drug or alcohol use

8. Success for Those that Completed Treatment
 Untreated subjects had a probability of
.167 of being arrested in the first 6 months
 Treated subjects had a probability of .031
of being arrested in the first 6 months
 Treated inmates were 73 percent less
likely to be re-arrested than untreated
inmates.

9. Repeat Usage
 Untreated subjects had a probability of
.367 of using drugs or alcohol in the first 6
months
 Treated subjects had a probability of .205
of using drugs or alcohol in the first 6
months
 Those who completed drug treatment
were 44 percent less likely

10. Less Likely to be Rearrested
 Older Individuals
 Those without Prior Commitments
 Frequent Urinalysis Testing
 Working Many Hours
 Living With a Spouse

11. 2.3 million inmates in the U.S., more
than half have a history of substance
abuse and addiction
Treatment can reduce recidivism rates
from 50 percent to something more like
20 percent

12. Bob May, associate director of the Association of State
Correctional Administrators says
“people who work in the system acknowledge the value of
the programs. There was a time, years ago, when that wasn’t
the case. People weren’t convinced that the programs were
effective, or even cost-effective. When I was working as chief
of detectives in a sheriff’s department, I didn’t believe in
these programs, either. My job was to put people away. You
know, you think it’s just some bleeding-heart liberal trying to
make excuses for a crime. But I didn’t know that 75 to 80
percent of people I was arresting for other crimes had an
abuse problem.”
“we know from the research that with people who go
through drug treatment, even if they still use drugs afterwards,
their crimes are less violent and less frequent. Even if it’s not a
100 percent change, it’s a good thing.”

13. Texas State Sen. John Whitmire who had been robbed
at gunpoint by a cocaine addict, says
“I’ve begged for my life once from someone addicted
to cocaine,” he says. “I would much rather spend
money on his addiction than face that gun again. This
isn’t about being soft on crime. It’s about being
tough, but also smart.”
His initiative saw positive results initially: the prison
population, predicted to climb by more than 5,000 by
the end of 2008, grew by only a 10th of that.

14. No matter how we feel about drug addicts
and criminals, we are going to pay. So do we
pay to lock them up, or go the arguably
cheaper way and rehabilitate them?

15. References
 Carmichael, M. (2010). The Case for Treating Drug
Addicts in Prison. Retrieved from
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/06/29/t
he-case-for-treating-drug-addicts-in-prison.html
 Federal Prison Residential Drug Treatment Reduces
Substance Use and Arrests After Release. (). Retrieved
from
http://www.bop.gov/news/research_projects/published
_reports/recidivism/orepramjalcd.pdf
 Inmate Drug Abuse Treatment Slows Prison’s Revolving
Door. (2004). Retrieved from
http://www.apa.org/research/action/aftercare.aspx
 Substance Abuse Treatment. (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.bop.gov/inmate_programs/substance.jsp