The Massachusetts Substance Abuse Treatment Program for State and Local Correctional Facilities

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 Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety (EOPS) will utilize the FY 2010 RSAT funds to support sub-grants to Massachusetts County Sheriffs' Departments to provide science-based substance abuse treatment for offenders and quality coordinated aftercare services. The Massachusetts County Sheriffs' Departments will use the RSAT funds for personnel expenses. The primary RSAT staff activities will be to: (1)formulate and monitor each offender's treatment plan; (2) develop a program tracking system; (3) perform random urinalysis testing or other proven drug testing methods for all RSAT participants; and, (4)address substance abuse related issues. The jail-based treatment programs will be set aside from the general population and will be a minimum of 3 months in length. The aftercare services will involve coordination between the treatment program and human service and rehabilitation programs such as education and job training, parole supervision, halfway houses, self-help, and peer group rehabilitation programs. The EOPS anticipates that the RSAT program will reduce future victimization and increase the chances for success of those offenders leaving incarceration and returning to communities.

NCA/NCF