Drug Treatment Programs

Rebecca Jesseman

Drug treatment programs are designed to provide offenders with the skills to end drug use and maintain a drug-free lifestyle. Currently, less than half of all U.S. correctional facilities have specific substance abuse programming. Despite rates of substance abuse estimated at a minimum of 75%, treatment capacity is limited to approximately 10% to 15% of the overall population. Due to restricted funding and resources, most programs address substance abuse in general rather than exclusively focusing on the use of illicit drugs. Interest in the development of treatment specific to narcotics is, however, increasing due to high rates of drug offenders, recidivism, and prison overcrowding. The types of treatment available range from traditional institutional 12-step programs such as Narcotics Anonymous to intensive “treatment communities” where the offender is separated from the general prison population. Preliminary program evaluations indicate that some forms of substance abuse treatment are associated with decreased parole breaches, ...

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