NCJ Number
130745
Date Published
1991
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This executive summary of the report of the National Task Force on Correctional Substance Abuse Strategies synopsizes recommended approaches to planning, implementing, and managing correctional substance abuse programs.
Abstract
The study concludes that there are effective treatment programs for offenders and that intervention with substance-abusing offenders (some 80 percent of offenders) is critical to their rehabilitation. Such intervention requires a broader focus than substance-abuse treatment alone. In addition to developing awareness of the problem, social skills, values, and practical skills among these offenders, they must also be closely supervised and constantly monitored for substance abuse, whether they are in institutional or community-based programs. Substance abuse interventions must be viewed from a systems perspective which requires intragency and interagency cooperation in intervention planning, implementation, and evaluation. In planning and managing correctional substance-abuse programs, administrators, planners, policymakers, community leaders, clinicians, and others should address the following essential areas; assessment, programming, linkages, staff, environment, and accountability. Each of these areas is addressed in detail in this summary.