Based on work group sessions that focused on the body of research on what works in drug abuse treatment, The Federal Bureau of Prisons designed a four-tier treatment strategy to respond to the increased and varied needs of its drug-dependent population. As part of this strategy, the Bureau also adopted a treatment philosophy and treatment curriculum to guide the development and implementation of new programs. The programs that compose this four-tier system cover the spectrum from education to transitional services, including drug education, nonresidential drug abuse treatment, unit-based residential treatment, and transitional services. Several treatment approaches are used within this treatment framework, including rational emotive therapy, rational behavioral therapy, criminal thinking confrontation, interpersonal and communication skills building, relapse prevention, wellness training, traditional group and individual counseling paradigms, prerelease services, and transitional readiness training. This paper describes the bureau's drug abuse education, nonresidential drug abuse treatment, and residential drug abuse treatment. The purpose and performance indicators are presented for each of 10 critical elements of drug abuse treatment in corrections. They are grouped into organizational elements, which define the coordination between correctional staff and treatment staff, and operational elements, which guide program implementation. 15 references