The Benefits of The Bureau of Prisons Substance Abuse Treatment

There are other offenders in jails and prisoners besides the ones many people may think of. Individual with special needs, a mental illness, and those suffering from substance abuse also make up part of the prison and jail population. These type of offenders affect the state and federal jail and prison systems on a state and federal level and need special attention. If they do not receive the special attention they need they could potentially cause harm to themselves or others. For over twenty years the Bureau of Prisons substance abuse treatment has made substantial changes for inmates suffering from substance abuse.

Inmates with special needs affect the state and federal prison systems because it costs more money to take care of their needs. The cost of medication and psychiatric help for mentally ill and substance abuse inmates costs the state and federal prisons a lot of money. In 2006, the Bureau of Justice Statistics projected there were 705,600 mentally ill adults in state prisons, 479,900 in local jails, and 78,800 in Federal prisons (James & Glaze, 2006). Inmates with a mental illness have strained the corrections system as a whole. Because special needs inmates need more attention than the average inmate they are usually separated from the rest of the prison and jail population. The average state or federal prison may not have the required staff to deal with inmates with special needs or have the proper treatment programs needed to deal with them. Many jails do not have special programs or secluded areas to treat those with special needs either. Prison security must ensure those suffering from substance abuse do not receive or gain access to drugs in prison. Training for prison and jail security is important when dealing with special needs inmates because they may not respond or react as a normal inmate would.

Prisoners with special needs must be cared for properly. If they are not properly taken care of it can cause many problems. Inmates who are not being carefully observed can inflict harm on themselves or others. Inmates with a mental illness or substance abuse problem are more likely to commit suicide or inflict harm on themselves. Special need inmates who are not receiving their medication can be prone to violence and attack other inmates or corrections staff. Inmates with a mental illness are especially vulnerable to being harmed by other inmates and often need to be separated from the rest of the jail or prison population for their own safety. According to James and Glaze (2006) nearly half of the mentally ill incarcerated in state prisons for some form of violent crime and without proper treatment and supervision they will reoffend and end up back in prison. One important factor for special needs is proper treatment to prevent them from reoffending and reentering jail or prison. Often those with a mental illness or substance abuse problem are overlooked and end up reoffending within the first six months to a year of being released (James & Glaze, 2006).

The Bureau of Prisons offers many programs for those with special needs. The Residential Drug Abuse program is one of the many programs offered through the Bureau of Prisons and for over twenty years has made a significant difference for inmates and their families. The Residential Drug Abuse program is an intensive six month five hundred hour substance abuse rehabilitation program and is completely voluntary to enroll in. Inmates who successfully complete the program are eligible for up to a twelve month reduction of their sentence and possible six months in a half-way house. Part of the treatment is to promote positive relationships, reduce anti-social behavior and associations, end drug use, and replace lying and aggression with pro-social alternatives. Because this program is offered by the Bureau of Prisons, it is available in sixty-three different correctional facilities. From 1990 to 2012, 270,449 inmates have participated in the Residential Drug Abuse program and 451,339 have participated in some sort of drug education program. The Bureau of Prisons report that individual who participate in the Residential Drug Abuse program are less likely to relapse than those who do not participate.

The cost of housing special needs inmates affect the state and federal correctional system. Because they require special attention, medication, and psychiatric services, it can strain the jail and prisons financially. Special needs inmates need special care and if they do not receive the care needed it can cause violent outbursts on other inmates or themselves. The Bureau of Prisons offers a Residential Drug Abuse program that has made significant changes in the lives of inmates suffering from substance abuse problems.

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