Substance abuse programs have existed in the Federal Bureau of Prisons since the 1960's. The goal has always been to reduce substance abuse among inmates after release. There was a decline in substance abuse programs in the 1980's. However, since 1988, the agency has been developing new strategies to deal with the problems of drug abuse and recidivism. The early programs were therapeutic communities for non-voluntary participants who received sentence reduction in return for program participation. Today, drug treatment program enrollment is voluntary, although many inmates are under court order for substance abuse treatment. Program enrollment generally occurs at the beginning of an inmate's incarceration. The Federal Bureau of Prisons' Conference in 1988, entitled "Developing drug treatment strategies for Federal offenders" is discussed. The two main themes of the conference are presented as well as the drug treatment program conclusions drawn from the data presented at the conference. The current program model being developed concludes the article.