FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DECEMBER 26, 2001
Lack of treatment services related to jail time
Study finds strong evidence of unmet demand for substance abuse treatment services
In the past year, four out of five recently jailed prisoners had abused alcohol or other drugs when not in jail, and one in three who needed addiction treatment did not receive it when not incarcerated, according to a recent study. The study concludes that "greater availability of [treatment] services might have reduced the consequences of the respondents' substance use disorders and in some cases perhaps might have prevented the crimes that brought these inmates into custody."
A separate study showed that specialized treatment provided in prison reduced rates of re-incarceration. The Two Year Outcome Report of the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center's residential treatment program for women showed that women who received this treatment while in jail were re-incarcerated much less frequently than a control group of subjects who did not receive such treatment.
In a joint statement, Corrections Commissioner Margaret Pugh and Health and Social Services Commissioner Jay Livey agreed: "It is no secret that addiction to alcohol or other drugs and propensity to commit crimes that lead to incarceration are related. These two studies clearly demonstrate the tremendous unmet need for specialized addiction treatment services that could reduce our rates of crime."
Newly incarcerated prisoners who had spent at least one month of the previous year out of jail needed and wanted more treatment services when not in prison, according to the Substance Abuse Treatment Needs Final Report . Of those study subjects who had a substance use disorder in the last year, about two out of three either had not obtained appropriate specialized treatment while out of jail, or had not received any treatment at all, despite severe substance abuse problems.
Of the study subjects who received treatment in the last year, nearly half said that they would have wanted longer, more intensive, or additional services if the services had been available. Of the subjects who did not receive treatment in the past year, 37% said they would have sought treatment when on the outside if it had been available. Fully half of these said that they had taken concrete steps to obtain care, but were not successful.
Recognizing the unmet demand for treatment services and the effectiveness of such services in reducing crime and incarceration, Governor Tony Knowles has included $3.8 million for treatment and counseling in his FY2003 Alcohol Initiative. Separate requests totaling about $2.5 million for alcohol treatment for minors, women, and dual-diagnosed offenders with children are included in the Governor's FY03 Smart Start/Strong Future initiative.
Background:
North Charles Research and Planning Group (NCRPG) conducted the Substance Abuse Treatment Needs of Alaska's Newly Incarcerated Prisoner Population Prior to Incarceration: Final Report, under contract with the Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Corrections.
The Department of Corrections prepared the Two Year Outcome Report of the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center Women's Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program. This specialized six- to twelve-month program provides a therapeutic community for women with multiple needs, offering the high level of care needed to achieve good results in the community. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice with at 26% state match. The Outcome Report was issued in November 2000.
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Substance Abuse
Treatment Needs of Alaska's Newly
Incarcerated Prisoner Population Prior to Incarceration:
Hiland Mountain
Correctional Center (HMCC)
Women's Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Program - Two
Year Outcome Report
For more information,
please contact Candace Brower, Dept. of Corrections, (907) 465-4652.
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