Substance abuse programs aid with prisoner rehabilitation

Tuscon News Now recently reported that a substance abuse program for federal prisoners in Arizona is making headway in rehabilitating inmates and preparing them for a clean life on the outside. The program costs taxpayers about $1.2 million per year, but government officials say that the price​ tag is nominal given the extraordinary results.

People often get sent to prison committing crimes that support their drug habit. Upon release, the supposedly rehabilitated prisoners tend to return to crime as a means of fueling addiction because their core problem has not been addressed. In prison, this cycle is known as the "revolving door," and it has dire implications for the rest of society.

The Arizona Department of Corrections reports that its substance abuse recovery program, which involves group therapy sessions twice a week for six months, has been seeing positive results from inmates. Nearly 800 prisoners are currently enrolled, and the program has graduated 1,000 state prisoners.

Karen Hellman, the administrator of Counseling and Treatment Services at the prison, told reporters that 75 percent of prisoners are believed to have substance abuse issues when they enter the correctional facility, and most of these individuals have never before had access to a treatment program.

As one inmate in the program said, "Sitting in prison, it's not a life. It's existence but it's not living. I'm ready to live."

If you believe that you are suffering from addiction problems, contact Fairwinds Treatment Center, one of the most highly respected addiction treatment centers in the nation. Dr. M.K. (Khal) El-Yousef founded the facility over 25 years ago to treat patients with his dual diagnosis method, involving therapeutic counseling as well as clinical treatment. At Fairwinds, we believe that you can heal from the disease of addiction, and go on to lead a happier and healthier life.