BJA FY 2024 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program

The RSAT Program assists states and local governments in the development and implementation of substance use treatment programs in state, local, and tribal correctional and detention facilities. The purpose of the RSAT Program is to break the cycle of drug addiction and violence by reducing the demand for, use, and trafficking of illegal drugs. The Missouri Department of Public Safety, Office of the Director, Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Unit would ensure this goal is met by subawarding monies to units of government providing residential substance abuse treatment for incarcerated inmates, preparing offenders for reintegration into communities, and assisting individuals and communities through the reentry process by delivering community-based treatment and other broad-band aftercare services.

The Missouri Department of Corrections is anticipated to continue a residential program that provides substance abuse treatment services to mobility impaired and other special needs offenders who receive programming services at the Northeast Correctional Center (NECC) in Bowling Green, MO. These clinical services will include assessment and treatment planning, group education, group counseling, individual case management, employability skills, individual counseling and referral to community continuing care in the community. In the event this NECC residential program is not continued, it is expected the Missouri Department of Corrections would start and/or enhance a residential substance treatment program in one or more of its other nine treatment centers throughout the state.

The St. Louis County Justice Services Department is anticipated to continue to provide jail-based and/or aftercare services to inmates sentenced to the CHOICES program by the court. Activities will focus on the substance abuse problems of the inmate and develop the inmate's behavioral, social, vocational, and other skills to solve the substance abuse and related problems. The inmates, as well as released inmates, will be given the opportunity to attend weekly Aftercare groups and individual sessions. Families will be able to participate in sessions with the inmates as well.

The Jasper County Jail Treatment Program (JCJTP) is an intensive 120-day institutional treatment program held at the Jasper County Detention Center in Carthage, MO. The goal of the JCJTP is to reduce recidivism by providing mental health and substance use treatment to individuals who struggle with reoccurring substance use and antisocial behaviors. Participants engaging in the JCJTP will be referred to the program as a result of a court sanction, probation violation, and/or volunteer as long as they meet treatment criteria for the program. Treatment criteria consists of meeting high-risk/high-need per the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs-Short Screener (GAIN-SS), which will be completed prior to sentencing and/or admittance to the program. Once admitted to the program, the participants will meet with a therapist and complete a comprehensive intake assessment to identify mental and behavioral health challenges. The participants will continue to work with a therapist throughout the program to address those challenges and learn how to cope with them in a healthier, more socially appropriate manner. When the participants complete the treatment program, they will be referred to outpatient treatment programs for continued support and their referring entity will be notified of their successful completion. When the participants are admitted to the program, they will be residing in the treatment dorms. The treatment dorms are considered as a therapeutic community for the participants. It’s important to provide this therapeutic community, that is separate from the inmates in general population, so they can focus on improving their mental and behavioral health challenges.