2009 State of New Mexico, Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for 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 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 New Mexico Corrections Department will use FY 2009 RSAT funds to continue operation of six (6) existing Therapeutic Community (TC) programs. The grant funds will support the Therapeutic Community (TC)network, re-entry initiatives with Native American and local jail populations, increase interaction with transitional TC programs, enhance culturally and gender sensitive curriculums, improve data availability, improve offender management and referral, continue education and training for TC staff, and increase emphasis on co-occurring clients.

The New Mexico Department of Public Safety (NMDPS) primary goals are to continue to utilize RSAT funding to support network of Therapeutic Community (TC) programs and the overall TC network in the New Mexico Corrections Department. Under the funds, NMDPS will continue to propose to continue operation of six existing TC's. This includes the addition of the Springer Correctional Facility that was added last year. The funding priority is to maintain the currently established network, improve intake and referral process at the Reception and Diagnostic Center, and fully integrate into the new Prison Reform and Re-Entry division in collaborative efforts focused on aftercare and re-entry.

All RSAT programs are administered by the NMCD Addictions Service Bureau. The Corrections Department also supports aftercare transitional programming through its Community Corrections Program, transitional reporting centers, and re-entry coordinators both within prisons and regional parole offices. NMCD will continue to support two transitional Therapeutic Community programs in the community (Ft. Stanton for men and the Women's Recovery Academy for women with children and women with co-occurring disorders) as well as contracts for substance abuse treatment through its probation/parole department. Currently, transitional parole officers participate in multi-disciplinary teams at institutions, including addiction services treatment staff, to provide discharge planning and aftercare referrals on inmates. Transitional regional parole officers assist with difficult cases and many inmates report to Transitional Reporting Centers in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Espanola. The State is working to increase the transitional reporting concept to Santa Fe.

NCA/NCF