The Need for Drug Rehabilitation for Inmates

Finding and providing effective drug addiction treatment programs in prisons has become a necessity as corrections costs have skyrocketed and recidivism rates haven't reduced.

There are now more than two million people behind bars in the United States, which is an increase of more than 400 percent since 1980.  Sixty percent of the growth in the federal prison population over the last twenty years has been due to drug offender commitments, and approximately 80 percent of inmates have substance abuse issues, according to sources such as the Sentencing Project and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. 

Many states are now reviewing and changing their sentencing laws for nonviolent drug offenders to curb the costs of the nation's fastest growing population segment, and while limiting the number of new inmates with drug addiction treatment alternatives is a positive step, there are still hundreds of thousands that need rehabilitation within the walls of the prisons.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics cites that only 10-15 percent of inmates with drug problems actually receive some form of treatment while incarcerated, but the Second Chance Act of 2004 (H.R. 4676) seeks to change that.  According to Human Rights Watch, the purpose of the Second Chance Act is to reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and help states and communities to better address the growing population of ex-offenders returning to communities.

A recent study released by the Substance Abuse Policy Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation examined addiction treatment practices and outcomes in Connecticut prisons.  The study found that recidivism rates are greatly reduced when inmates receive some form of rehabilitation services during their prison sentences. 

The cost to re-incarcerate offenders is much higher than it is to provide drug treatment services in the prisons.  Researchers from the study said the outcomes clearly demonstrate the need for prison-based rehabilitation programs.

One organization that is continually producing long-term results throughout the world for rehabilitating nonviolent alcohol and other drug offenders is the Narconon® Drug Rehabilitation and Education Program. 

Narconon Arrowhead is the largest center in the international network, producing a phenomenal success rate for rehabilitating addicts using the effective drug-free methodology developed by American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard. 

NARCONON literally means "narcotics-none" and was founded by a former heroin addict named William Benitez in Arizona State Prison in 1966. Thrity-nine years later, Narconon is still considered a new, proven approach to successfully ending drug addiction.  The program is totally drug-free and it consists of communication and confront exercises, sauna detoxification to rid the body of the old drug residues and a series of courses that empower former addicts through learning life skills.

The overwhelming issue of substance abuse affects nearly every individual in one way or another. If you would like to seek help for a loved or are interested in learning more about the program, contact Narconon Arrowhead today by calling 1-800-468-6933 or log on to www.stopaddiction.com for a free assessment or referral.

---