NCJ Number
152193
Date Published
1994
Length
14 pages
Annotation
The Tapestry program treats female alcohol and/or drug dependent inmates at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville.
Abstract
Since the Tapestry program began in 1990, more than 400 women have participated. With a daily capacity of 80, the program is a therapeutic community where people who have similar problems, including substance abuse, live and work together to better their lives. The program's structure is like a large family; staff represent parent or authority figures. Program candidates are only considered postsentencing, and the typical length of stay in the program is 8 months. The participant's day starts with a 5:30 a.m. wake-up call, followed by 4 hours of work or school assignments and community activities. The Tapestry program's mission is to provide intensive programming that effectively meets the recovery and developmental needs of inmates. It also seeks to provide women with an effective, prosocial, therapeutic environment. The goal of treatment is to help inmates develop the skills they need to maintain a drug-free and crime-free lifestyle and to develop a psychological, intellectual, and behavioral immunity to preincarceration ways of thinking. The Tapestry program's outreach, referral, and screening process is described, as well as program services.