Effective substance abuse treatment is critical to California’s efforts to reduce the number of inmates who return to a life of crime.  The Office of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (OSATS), formerly the Division of Addiction and Recovery Services, provides substance abuse treatment and recovery services to inmates and parolees. 

New, streamlined substance abuse treatment models being launched

Gender-responsive programs for women open in three additional prisons

In January, 2010 an innovative program to address the unique challenges women offenders face in overcoming substance abuse was launched at Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, the Valley State Prison for Women (VSPW) and the California Institution for Women. The Trauma-Informed Substance Abuse Treatment Program (TI-SAT) for female inmates offers gender-responsive services to reduce substance abuse relapse and recidivism. See Top Story

Three-month treatment model being phased in at other institutions

To meet the new budget reality CDCR has developed a streamlined rehabilitation model sharply focused on reducing recidivism and reaching as many offenders as possible with less funding. A new three-month treatment model for male inmates is also being phased in at nine additional prisons to replace CDCR’s previous 6-36 month programs. The shorter treatment model will enable CDCR to still serve 8,450 inmates with substance abuse treatment annually. The department’s new model was developed in consultation with the UC San Diego, Center for Criminality & Addiction Research, Training & Application.

Inmates will receive services near the end of their confinement and will be encouraged to complete community treatment upon release — a combination that significantly reduces recidivism. The return-to-prison rate for offenders who completed both in-prison and community-based substance abuse treatment in FY 2005-06 was 35.3 percent after two years compared to 54.2 percent for all CDCR offenders. CDCR’s new substance abuse treatment models at the state’s prison are scheduled to be fully operational by February or March 2010.

For additional information, see “CDCR Reduces Rehabilitation Programs, Headquarters Budget To Contain Costs and Increase Efficiencies"; and “Fact Sheet, Adult Rehabilitation Program Reductions/New Rehabilitation Model, FY 2009-10.”

PROGRAM GOALS:

• Reduce recidivism through evidence-based, gender responsive programs that address substance use behaviors and criminogenic risks and needs.
• Increase participation in community aftercare substance abuse programs by promoting its value to in-prison populations and ensuring the successful linkage between in-prison programs and community aftercare.
• Implement evidence-based practices in in-prison and aftercare programs and respond to recommendations from treatment experts.

RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Launched the first-of-its-kind program certifying long-term inmates as alcohol and drug counselors, the Offender Mentor Certification Program, to help other inmates recover, at California State Prison, Solano.
• Demonstrated with the most recent data which followed offenders who paroled in 2005-06 for a one-year and a two-year period that the recidivism rate was reduced for offenders who completed in-prison substance abuse treatment programs - with a more substantial reduction in recidivism for offenders completing an in-prison substance abuse program followed by a community-based substance abuse treatment program.
• Demonstrated a lower return-to-prison rate for female offenders who completed both in-prison and community-based substance abuse treatment in FY 2005-06 (8.8 percent after one year and 16.5 percent after two years) as compared to the return-to-prison rate for all CDCR female offenders (30.1 percent after one year and 43.7 percent after two years).* (See Figure 1A)
• Demonstrated a lower return-to-prison rate for male offenders who completed both in-prison and community-based substance abuse treatment in FY 2005-06 (25.4 percent after one year and 40.4 percent after two years) as compared to the return-to-prison rate for all CDCR male offenders (41.2 percent after one year and 55.6 percent after two years).* (See Figure 1B)
• Overall, for all offenders, both male and female, reduced the statewide return-to-prison rate for one year to 21.9 percent and to 35.3 percent for two years for offenders who completed both in-prison and community-based treatment in FY 2005-06, compared to 39.9 percent and 54.2 percent respectively for all offenders. (See Figure 1C)
• Reduced the statewide return-to-prison rate for one-year to 5.8 percent for female parolees who completed in-prison and community treatment and to 19.3 percent for male parolees who completed in-prison and community treatment in Fiscal Year 2006-07.
• Increased the percent of offenders who completed in-prison programs and continued on to aftercare to 54.6 percent as of June 30, 2008 (compared to 30 percent cited in the Office of Inspector General 2007 report).
• More than doubled the average daily population of parolees receiving community treatment from 2,632 on June 27, 2007 to 5,503 on June 30, 2008.
• Reduced custody lockdown hours from an average of 571 hours per month in Fiscal Year 2007-08 to 248 hours per month during the first half of Fiscal Year 2008-09. This increased the hours of substance abuse programming and improved program effectiveness.
• Established 1,800 ICDTP slots for use as a remedial sanction by April 1, 2008, meeting the U.S. District Court order which required CDCR to establish 1,800 ICDTP slots by that date as a result of the Valdivia v. Schwarzenegger class action lawsuit.

CURRENT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES:

Programs Available to Inmates:

• In-Prison Substance Abuse Programs (SAPs).  SAPs are designed to create an extended exposure to a continuum of services during incarceration and facilitate a successful re-entry into community living.  These services, provided in both female and male institutions, include substance abuse treatment and recovery services; social, cognitive and behavioral counseling; life skills training; health-related education; and relapse prevention.
  CSP Solano Substance Abuse Program, 2009 - View Slideshow

Community-Based Programs Available to Parolees -- Voluntary: 

• Community-Based Substance Abuse Programs.  OSATS administers community-based substance abuse treatment programs (also referred to as “continuing care” or “aftercare”) for parolees. Research has shown that inmates completing in-prison and continuing community-based care programs are significantly less likely to return to prison. These programs provide continuing care services through the Substance Abuse Services Coordination Agencies (SASCA). There are four SASCAs, one in each parole region. SASCAs refer, place, and track parolees in continuing care programs. SASCAs also provide transportation from prison to treatment facilities.
• Female Offender Treatment and Employment Program (FOTEP).  The goal of FOTEP is to reduce recidivism through a continuation of intensive substance use treatment, family reunification, vocational training, and employment services. This program offers gender-responsive counseling services, job preparation to women who have completed a substance abuse program in prison.  Women parolees receive up to fifteen months of residential treatment services and are allowed up to two minor children to reside with them during their participation in the program.
• Parolee Services Network (PSN).  This network provides community-based alcohol and drug abuse treatment for eligible parolees (felons and civil addicts) who may or may not have participated in a SAP, but who have substance abuse problems.  The PSN is a partnership between CDCR and the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs.  PSN programs provide community alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services to parolees in 17 counties statewide.  These programs provide up to 180 days of treatment and recovery services and are designed to support parolee reintegration into society by encouraging a clean and sober lifestyle.
• The In-Custody Drug Treatment Program (ICDTP).  The ICDTP is a 150 day program and provides two separate and distinct treatment programming options: Program I is comprised of 60 days county jail time followed by 30 days of residential community based aftercare treatment followed by an additional 60 days in residential, outpatient and/or sober living environment or a combination of these modalities. Program II is comprised of 90 days of residential community based aftercare treatment followed by an additional 60 days in residential, outpatient and/or sober living environment or a combination of these modalities. Outpatient treatment programming may include self-help programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and other aftercare services.
• Senate Bill 1453.  Eligible in-custody Substance Abuse Program participants may complete 150 days of residential, community-based substance abuse treatment as a voluntary condition of their parole. Eligible inmates include non-serious, non-violent, non-sex offenders who meet other criteria and who complete an in-prison Substance Abuse Program. Parolees who successfully complete the prescribed 150 days of residential continuing care treatment are discharged from parole.