Reentry Treatment Program Research Paper

Reentry Drug Treatment Programs in the Criminal Justice System

Melinda Duplichan CJA 595 Program Development and Evaluation Professor: Myers

Reentry Drug Treatment Programs in the Criminal Justice System

There are many programs in the criminal justice system that is geared to helping the prisoners while they do their time. One of them is the drug treatment program, this program according to the Federal Bureau of Prison is suppose to provide inmates with drug treatment prior to reentry into society(Peters, R. 1993 ). As drugs are linked to crime most criminals are being incarceration. There are only about half of state correctional facilities that provide substance abuse treatment to its inmates (Peters,
R. 1993). Drug treatment in or out of prison was designed to improve behavior, decrease criminal recidivism, improve employment, improve social relationships, and decrease relapse time between treatment (Peters, R. 1993). With many programs there has to be a major need for the program.
As more and more criminals were going to prison for drug crimes. Criminals who were already incarcerated were testing positive for one or more drugs. Since there’s variety of impact points that treatment can occur in the criminal justice system. This paper will look at the post treatment drug rehabilitation program, which is a part of the reentry treatment program for offenders (Vigdal G., 1995). Reentry uses programs to target the effective reintegration of offenders back into communities upon release from prison (Harrison L., 2000). Many reentry programs can vary in the type of services provided and the type of offenders targeted. However the main goal when starting this program was to make sure offenders once released from prison adjust to life and help reduce recidivism. Drug Rehabilitation in the reentry programs were designed for offenders returning to the community from being incarceration for crimes committed. Offenders in these programs are expected to develop a plan that will develop and provide a transition from incarceration to a community substance abuse treatment and other related reentry services that they may
need. This program was suppose to resolve and address the problem of substance-abusing adult offenders returning to their families and community from adult or juvenile incarceration in prisons, and jails (Harrison L., 2000). So there can be a continuing care system for adult offenders due to more and more offenders that are being incarcerated for drug crimes (Harrison L., 2000). This has grown as States and local communities have struggled with the increasing number of these individuals returning to the community after release from prison and not being able to adjust to life on the outside. Offenders are allowed to enter the reentry drug rehabilitation program that are incarcerated and ready for release into the community in six months of release.
The offender must be 18 years of age and has been sentence to incarceration as a adult in the criminal justice system. The must also be within 4 to 6 months of their release back into the community in order to be admitted into the drug rehabilitation (Harrison L., 2000). Because it’s a reentry program, there are other key programs within the program. These programs work together to ensure that the offender receives skills needed to become a integrate part of society with a chance not to commit another crime. A community transition program is a part of a reentry program that helps the offender between their release and transition back into the community (Harrison L., 2000). This program will target many resources that will help the offender with family issues, housing, employment, education, mentoring support, treatment, and other identified areas that may typically impact the probability of recidivism (Harrison L., 2000). There is also a community long term support program that provides and establish network to help support offenders that will help them sustained in the absence of criminal justice supervision and after the reentry plan has been successfully implemented(Harrison L.,
2000).
Looking at the reentry program, as we can see there are many key programs that can help offenders once they are released from prison. Since reentry after confinement to ensure that offenders receive the programs and services necessary for a smooth transition back in to society.

Reference:

Harrison, Lana. 2000. The Challenge of Reintegrating Drug Offenders in the Community. Washington, D.C.

Peters, R. 1993. “Drug Treatment in Jails and Detention Settings.” In Drug Treatment and Criminal Justice. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Vigdal, Gerald L. 1995. Planning for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Treatment for Adults in the Criminal Justice System. Treatment Improvement ,publication no. 17.