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Family & Corrections Network |
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October 10-12, 1993 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada ADDICTIONS TREATMENT UNIT (ATU) Le Traitement des dependances Gwendolyn A. Bright Chief Parole Examiner, Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services P.O. Box 50666, Suite 600, Columbia, S.C., 29250 (803) 734-9278 L'Addiction Treatment Unit assure un traitement dynamique avec, en continu, intervention et possibilite de resolution des problèmes dans un environnement de nature therapeutique. C'est un environnement concu pour aider les delinquants pharmacodependants en ce qui concerne leur probleme de consommation d'alcool ou d'usage de drogue, les conflits familiaux et les difficultes dans les rapports sociaux. Dans un milieu de vie communautaire, les residents de cette unite participent a des activites misant sur le partage, le developpement de la confiance en soi, le developpement de l'identite et l'autodetermination. Ce programme permet de mettre les residents et leurs familles dans un milieu ou ils peuvent apprendre a vivre sans medicaments psychotropes ou a effet psychodysleptique. Pour que le traitement de la chimiodapendance soit efficace, il faut que la personne en cause change tout son mode de vie. À cette fin, les rasidents sont engages dans une serie d'interventions therapeutiques concues pour explorer chaque aspect de leur vie et de celle de leur famille dans le but de provoquer les changements necessaires a la readaptation. Good morning/afternoon! I am honored to be here with you in this wonderful city and to have the opportunity to share an exciting and innovative program that we have developed and implemented in South Carolina. As we begin our presentation today, I would like for you to write down the following words: addict prison family treatment parole What I hope to do today is illustrate for you the relationships between these words, and the impact upon the lives of the people associated with the terms listed above. As we begin, I think that it is important to have an understanding of the extent of the substance abuse problem in South Carolina and the impact of substance abuse upon the prison system of South Carolina. As well as what we as corrections practitioners have accomplished in addressing this issue. Since 1982, the total number of drug abuse clients admitted for treatment to the South Carolina Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse has increased 55%, Although there has been a slight decrease in the past two years, there has been a concurrent, dramatic and alarming increase in the number of admissions for cocaine abuse. This alarming trend has been validated by the drug testing initiative of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. The department's data for fiscal year 1990 reveals a three fold increase in cocaine abuse over 'THC'. The department conducted over 63,000 individual drug tests on over 22,000 offenders. If that figures is not astonishing enough, consider that the test employed by the department can only detect cocaine within 48 hours of ingestion. Whereas 'THC' can be detected up to six weeks following ingestion. This trend in the community is carried forward into the entering prison population. The number of drug offenders today is much higher that five years ago. Specifically speaking, the number of drug offenders entering prison over the last five years has increased over 75%. Moreover, the average sentence handed down for drug and drug related offenses has increased from 54 months to 60 months. With such increases in drug abuse, associated health concerns will also likely become more serious with the passage of time. Without immediate and appropriate intervention with these substance abusers, the likelihood of these offenders continuing in a pattern of abuse leading to more criminal behavior seems to be a sad, but true likelihood. This outcome is apparently being confirmed by the data reported by the South Carolina Department of Corrections from its inmate self-report on substance abuse. During 1991, the South Carolina Department of Corrections experienced a marked increase in its inmate populations. That year there were over 11,723 admissions to the prison. Of that number 9% reported that they committed offenses involving the possession of drugs; 17% reported being under the influence of drugs at the time of the commission of the offense; 6% reported that the offense was associated with drug dealing; 45% reported that the offense was related to use or abuse of alcohol and/or drugs; and 23% reported that they were addicted to alcohol and/or drugs. So it is apparent that the extent of the drug problem in South Carolina is extensive and has dramatically increased during the past five years and that cocaine, crack, has made itself well known on the streets and in the lives of the offenders in the corrections population. Moreover, the impact upon the prison system is significant and troubling. A significant number of offenders entering the facilities of the South Carolina Department of Corrections as a result of a conviction of a crime related to the use, or abuse of drugs are addicts!!!!! Even more disturbing is that these offenders will be returning to their communities and families within months, depending upon their sentence. Many will be paroled. So, what are we doing given the extent of this problem? The South Carolina Department of Corrections and Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services and the Commission of Alcohol and Drug Abuse have implemented an innovative and progressive solution known as the S.C. Addictions Treatment Unit established through the assistance of a drug control and systems improvement grant. That facility is located at the Watkins Pre-release Center in Columbia, South Carolina. The Addictions Treatment Unit is a unique interagency approach to identifying and treating inmates (48 male and 12 female) in a 60 day treatment cycle prior to parole. The ATU has admitted over 900 inmates into the program since august 1989. In this program the S.C. Parole Board recommends inmates for the ATU and also provides for the supervision of these inmates upon completion of the program and subsequent parole into the community. You may be saying that all sounds very good, but I'd like to know what is so innovative about the treatment environment. How does this program work? Are you successfully, and positively impacting the lives of the inmates through this program? You may be saying that inmates may be going along to get along on out of prison. Well, that may be very true, only time will tell. But I ask you to consider: "When I quite AA, I was facing 5 years in the joint. by the time I finished my drinking spree, I was facing 57 years. Alcohol has put me in the penitentiary every time. I thought I had the answers to everything until I got here." "If you will get into the program, it' ll show you what you don't have because it brings up feelings that have long been buried." The ATU provides dynamic treatment with continuous intervention and opportunities for problem solving in a therapeutic environment. The environment is designed to assist chemically dependent offenders with his or her alcohol and drug abuse problem, family conflicts and peer relationship difficulties. Through community living, residents in this unit are involved in experiences of sharing,confidence building, identity development and self direction. The program provides a place for residents and their families to learn to live without mind or mood altering drugs. Chemical dependency is a primary disease affecting physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of life. It is chronic, progressive and, if left untreated, can be fatal. Philosophy of the Program -we believe that chemical dependency facilitates the commission of crimes; -we believe that treatment is based on the understanding of each individual's strengths and needs; -we believe that each individual in treatment is responsible for their own recovery program including support of the therapeutic community; -we believe in the importance of involving the family in treatment and we dedicate a portion of our program to these issues; -we believe that treatment of chemical abuse can contribute to the reduction of recidivism. Goals of the Program -to interrupt the use, abuse, dependence on all drugs including alcohol; -to educate residents on the disease of addiction and provide tools to arrest the process; -to identify the specific needs of residents and to assist them in their reentry into society; -to develop and achieve with the residents a long-term plan of continuing recovery; -to educate and enlighten residents and their significant others to the disease of chemical dependency and provide tools for continuing recovery in a way of active support. We view addiction as a family dysfunction manifested in one individual. The favorable conditions for the initiation of the disease are within the family. Therefore, we see the need to move towards healthy family relations as critical. However, while family improvement is regarded as a plus for recovery, we still recognize the potential of the individual to recover without healing the dysfunction in the family. We recognize that many families refuse to get involved in the patient's treatment and we are careful to avoid giving a negative message of impending treatment failure when this happens. Family focus helps residents and their families understand the effects of chemical dependency on the family. The residents and their family attend lectures and films that focus on the family. A family therapy sessions follows to provide an opportunity for families to exchange ideas and feelings related to recovery. A specialized children's component for ages 6 - 12 is designed to educate children about chemical dependency and the disease concept on a level that they can understand. Goals for the Children's Program: -to teach children how to identify and communicate feelings; -to teach children the following: "they did not cause it " "they cannot cure it " "they can cope with it " -to teach children how to recognize their powerlessness over the alcoholics in their family; -to teach children how alcoholism affects the total family; -to teach children decision making skills so they can recognize more alternatives in coping with stress; -to teach children to recognize options when they have problems. Successful treatment of chemical dependency requires changes in one's entire life. To accomplish this aim, residents are engaged in a series of therapeutic interventions designed to explore each aspect of their lives and the lives of their families in an attempt to bring about changes necessary for recovery. This program seeks to meet and strengthen unique spiritual, developmental, social and educational needs of each resident in a drug-free treatment setting. Each day is carefully and fully planned to get the most out of everything -- from education to free time -- by enhancing the resident's discovery of his or her own special identity and developing ways to positively relate to others without drugs or alcohol. After completion of 60 days of treatment, each resident is referred to a local county alcohol/abuse commission for a one year period of follow-up outpatient services. Contact by counselors is maintained throughout this time for support and follow-up. Other services may be recommended at this time for continued recovery issues. Moreover, just this month this department has initiated the process to employ aftercare services coordinators to enhance the aftercare component of the ATU and to add additional emphasis to this service for the offender and supervising parole officer in the county offices. In closing, we have no data available as of yet as to the impact of this program on the success of inmates who have completed this program prior to parole. An evaluation effort has been initiated to assess the impact of the program on the likelihood of success, remaining drug free while under supervision. At the beginning of this presentation, we wrote down five words. They were: addict, prison, family, treatment and parole. Another way to look at these words is: addict: what he was prison: where he is family: support he needs treatment: what ATU can provide parole: his opportunity for success Prior to the existence of the ATU, the cycle for the offender was addict, prison, parole and that cycle was destined to repeat time and time again. We can't say for certain if programs such as the ATU will have a significant impact upon crime and drugs, but what we can say is that some lives are impacted for the better, and there is hope where before there was none. This is no better expressed than by Tracey, an addict....... "I didn't think that I needed this. I thought that I had everything under control. I found that I needed this more than anything in my life. It's gonna be my stepping stone to go out in the real world........." Indeed, Tracey has said it all, It's gonna be a stepping stone to go out into the real world. -addict, prison, family, treatment, parole. ATU offers one more word to add to your list, and that is HOPE, hope for a new life, hope for a drug free life, hope for family, a home, a future without crime and prison. |
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