Content area
Full Text
In 1989, following increasing evidence that substance abuse is a driving factor in both prison overcrowding and parole revocation, the California Department of Corrections (CDC) formed the Office of Substance Abuse Programs (OSAP). In 1990, OSAP, in partnership with Amity, Inc., a nationally recognized community-based treatment organization, initiated California's first intensive substance abuse treatment program at the R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility near San Diego. The treatment program that was developed allows selected drugabusing, medium-security inmates to serve their last year of incarceration in a therapeutic community setting (TC). The 200 inmates assigned to the project participate in group meetings, seminars, group and individual counseling, video feedback, relapse prevention, and urine testing. Pre-parole planning is also provided to assist inmates in returning to the community.
Upon successful completion of the inprison program, a limited number of inmates paroled to San Diego County are able to enter the community residential facility in Vista, California. This facility initially offered six beds, but quickly expanded to 40; full treatment services are available; and participants may stay (up to one year) until they are ready to make the transition to independent living. The average stay is 5.3 months.
The TC at R.J. Donovan is housed in a unit isolated from the general population, but participants are integrated with other prisoners for certain activities. Seminars, ancillary groups, and workshops are provided for family, friends, and other parolees.
Areas of Focus
The Continuity of Care Project includes three distinct program areas: pre-parole transition planning, substance abuse, treatment services, and parole services.
Established with the assistance of the California Office of Criminal Justice Planning in 1991, the Continuity of Care Project enables institutional treatment graduates to continue intensive substance abuse treatment in a community setting.
The goals of the Continuity of Care Project are to provide substance abuse treatment services for offenders graduating from the in-prison component, to provide pre-parole planning for the inprison participants, to enhance the likelihood of success on parole, and to assure continued community safety. The objectives to achieve these goals are to:
Provide ancillary groups, workshops, or seminars at the facility for a minimum of 400 non-transition parolees, family members, and friends.
Graduate at least 190 inmates, 70 of whom will enter the transition facility for an...