Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners

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 2009 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 Colorado Division of Criminal Justice Department of Public Safety will use the 2009 RSAT funds to continue to operate inmate programming with a focus on the substance abuse problems of offenders and development of the offender's behavioral, social, and vocational skills. The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment project (RSAT) has been funded since May 15, 1997 in the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ). The RSAT program is administered by the Office of Community Corrections within the DCJ. Sub-grants awarded with RSAT funds in FY 2008 were: (1) Larimer County Community Corrections, and (2) The Department of Corrections Residential Substance Abuse treatment project at Arrowhead Correctional Facility. In the past 12 months the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) has had 96 beds funded with RSAT funds. Larimer County Community Corrections has provided aftercare services to approximately 100 offenders that have transitioned out of intensive residential services during the last 12 months.

The program goals are to: (1) Provide funds to allow programs to focus on the substance abuse problems of offenders and to develop the offender's behavioral, social, and vocational skills; (2) Provide funds to programs for the provision of intensive residential treatment for adult and juvenile inmates with a Level 4c or 4d Assessment, pursuant to the standardized state instruments; (3) Use up to 10% of the funding at the local jurisdiction level; (4) Facilitate the development of a greater continuum of relapse prevention and aftercare services for offenders within the identified target population; (5) Reentry Initiative to maximize the use of federal funds for the target population; and, (6) Evaluate the program to determine the success of the strategies.

NCA/NCF