Vermont FY10 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program

The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners Program assists states and local governments to develop and implement substance abuse treatment programs in state and local correctional and detention facilities and to create and maintain community-based aftercare services for offenders. The goal of the RSAT Program is to break the cycle of drugs and violence by reducing the demand for, use, and trafficking of illegal drugs. RSAT enhances the capability of states and units of local government to provide residential substance abuse treatment for incarcerated inmates; prepares offenders for their reintegration into the communities from which they came by incorporating reentry planning activities into treatment programs; and assists offenders and their communities through the reentry process through the delivery of community-based treatment and other broad-based aftercare services. RSAT funds may be used to implement three types of programs: residential, jail-based, and aftercare. At least 10 percent of the total state allocation for FY 2010 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.

The Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) will use the FY 2010 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program funds to continue to support the Vermont RSAT treatment program. The DOC currently operates three prison-based substance abuse treatment units, of which one unit is supported under the RSAT funds. The Discovery Program opened in March of 2002 as a 50-bed therapeutic community and is located at the Caledonia Community Work Camp in St. Johnsbury. The program uses the Therapeutic Community (TC) model as the preferred approach to the treatment of substance abuse disorders. Most offenders in the facility-based program are treated for substance abuse associated with alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and opiates. Given the success of the Pathways Program, the TC model was labeled to be the most effective strategy for this population. Utilizing the grant funds, the grantee will: 1) provide high quality treatment services within the prison setting; 2) enhance the capability of states and units of local government to provide residential substance abuse treatment for incarcerated inmates; and, 3) prepare offenders for reintegration into communities by incorporating reentry planning activities into treatment programs.

NCA/NCF