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Substance Abuse Treatment in Community Corrections: The Hampden County Experience

NCJ Number
128402
Author(s)
K Warwick; M Maldonado
Date Published
Unknown
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Substance abuse programming at the Hampden County Pre-Release Center in Massachusetts has been designed as the initial stage of participation in community corrections programs of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department.
Abstract
The pre-release center is a 60-bed residential facility. Inmates or residents work in the community and return to the center in the evening to reside and participate in programs. Target populations include county offenders who are serving a sentence of 2.5 years or less and State offenders who are serving a sentence of 2.5 years or more and who have been classified as eligible to participate in the programs. The center serves a population that is 36 percent white, 35 percent Hispanic, and 29 percent black. Its programs include Educating Recovering Alcoholics and New Directions. The center's educational component provides substance abuse information that focuses on medical issues and disease concepts, relapse prevention, and addiction. A process group meets for 90 minutes daily to allow clients to process the educational content, identify program content relevant to individual lives, and vent feelings. The center's family program is deeply rooted in the premise that addiction is a family illness. After completing the Educating Recovering Alcoholics program, clients participate in 12 weeks of aftercare. The Hampden County Pre-Release Center program is viewed as one approach to alleviate prison overcrowding and prevent the repetitive illegal behavior of substance abusers.