Mississipp's FY 2007 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for Sate Prisoners Program

The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Formula Grant Program (RSAT) assists states and local governments in developing and implementing substance abuse treatment programs in state and local correctional and detention facilities. The RSAT Program also assists states and local governments in creating and maintaining community-based aftercare services for offenders who are released from institutionally based substance abuse programs. Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Formula Grant funds may be used to implement three types of programs. At least 10 percent of the total state allocation for FY 2007 shall be made available to local correctional and detention facilities (provided such facilities exist) for either residential substance abuse treatment programs or jail-based substance abuse treatment programs as defined below.

The goal of the Mississippi FY 2007 RSAT program is to provide meaningful substance abuse treatment services for incarcerated offenders in state and local correctional facilities and for juvenile offenders who have substance abuse problems. To accomplish this goal, the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) will continue residential substance abuse treatment units for those inmates entering the pre-release program who have been identified with substance abuse problems. Also, residential substance abuse treatment services will be provided in juvenile correctional facilities for juvenile offenders with identified substance abuse problems and in local correctional facilities. The objectives of this program are to: A) Provide substance abuse testing of all inmates entering the pre-release program; B) Provide residential substance abuse treatment to 450 inmates in the pre-release program during this grant year; C) Maintain five residential inmates substance abuse treatment centers; D) Provide support for one juvenile offender substance abuse treatment program; E) To provide substance abuse treatment for 25 offenders in juvenile correctional facilities; F) Provide counseling, educational, vocational and employability skills development opportunities to all inmates and juvenile offenders in the program; G) Provide aftercare services to all inmates and juvenile offenders completing the program; and H) Continue at least one local correctional agency substance abuse treatment program.

The Division of Public Safety Planning (DPSP) will make a subgrant to MDOC to continue the five pre-release substance abuse treatment programs. This program serves inmates entering the pre-release phase who have substance abuse problems through the establishment of a dedicated treatment component for these inmates. The DPSP will continue to provide support to the Bolivar County Regional Correctional Facility and at least one treatment program in a juvenile correctional facility. Aftercare services will be provided to inmates completing the substance abuse treatment program by a Community Services substance abuse coordinator (F.R.E.E. Coordinator) as well as a field officer. In addition to following the progress of inmates completing the substance abuse treatment program, the F.R.E.E (Facing Reality Educationally and Emotionally) program provides life skills training to help former substance abusers overcome obstacles and remain substance abuse free.

NCA/NCF