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| NIDA breaks the cycle |
| By Sarah Etter, News Reporter |
| Published: 07/31/2006 |
Tim Bell struggled with drug addiction for more than 20 years. As his drug use progressed from marijuana to heroin and cocaine, he found himself acting like someone else, and serving hard time for doing hard drugs. “My life spiraled out of control,” Bell recalls. “I went to prison three different times, in Illinois and Indiana, and when I was finally sentenced to 10 years in prison, I made up my mind that it would be the last time.” During his last stint in prison, Bell received treatment for his addiction and took advantage of community-based programming once he was released. Now, he's starting a new chapter in his life. He's no longer using and he was just offered a job last week. “The reality is, you have to put just as much effort into getting clean as you did into being addicted,” Bell says. “All of the work that a person puts into getting drugs and using drugs, they have to put even more into getting out of that mindset. Now, I have the same energy focused on staying clean as I did about using.” While Bell's post-prison story is thus far a success, millions of others in the criminal justice system still struggle from addiction. That's why the National Institute of Drug Abuse released its report, Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations. NIDA's 13 principles come after years of rigorous research and the effort from dedicated experts and organizations, such as the non-profit Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities. TASC is an Illinois-based operation that helps offenders recover from addiction by using community resources. For the last 10 years, with the help of organizations like TASC, NIDA's research has focused on medical treatments for addiction. Although many of NIDA's principles have been discussed in criminal justice, this is the first time updated tips have been compiled into a comprehensive, research-based look at substance abuse treatment. “Our criminal justice population has exploded over the last 15 years,” says NIDA Branch Chief of Services Research, Redonna K. Chandler. “We're faced with one of the largest populations of incarcerated individuals in the world. Most of these people are returning to their communities; the vast majority are on community supervision. We must figure out how to meet the needs of that population. Hopefully, these principles are the start of that.” For Bell, one of the most important principles was continuation of care post-release. “People will come out of prison bitter or better,” says Bell. “There has to be a connection between the treatment inside of prison and the aftercare once you are released. That's what made the difference for me. All the treatment in the world will do an individual no good if you release them with nothing to do and no further action to take. The aftercare kept me from having a desire to go back to drug addiction.” Some of NIDA's principles were designed to address assessing substance abusers and offering tailored services to help each person individually. The tips sheet also offers guidelines for helping offenders with co-occurring disorders. “The one thing research demonstrates about co-occurring disorders is that substance abuse and mental health problems must both be addressed. You cannot address these issues in isolation,” Chandler explains. Non-monetary rewards are also suggested for those making progress with sobriety. “Parents know that they should reinforce their child for good behavior,” says Chandler. “We've done studies with drug abusers using contingency management and offering rewards for progress. Rewarding positive behavior is a very important part of rehabilitation. Offenders aren't accustomed to getting positive rewards but you cannot underestimate what an individual will think once you've commended them with a certificate of achievement. It's a great way to acknowledge what they've done.” Chandler adds that it is crucial for criminal justice professionals to know their clients needs and understand the long-standing affects of drug addiction on the brain and behavior. “We know that drug addiction and then the cessation of drug use followed by a period of recovery are actually comparable to other chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and asthma. When someone is in treatment, symptoms go down. But when treatment is removed, you can see relapses and re-occurring symptoms. The first thing you have to do is make sure each individual knows they are being released with ongoing treatment and will have to make choices on their own,” Chandler recommends. The choices offenders face post-release can be a dangerous trigger for relapse, Chandler says. Finding jobs, housing, and following supervision requirements are all huge issues for those released during recovery. “Things like going into a large grocery store can really overwhelm recently released offenders,” Chandler explains. “The number of choices you make in the community versus those you make during incarceration can really bring stress on for them.” Another recommendation Chandler endorses is creating a summary of treatment document. By making a personalized list of on-going needs for each recovering offender, officials can ensure that treatment and services remain consistent across the criminal justice system, from corrections to parole and probation. As criminal justice, corrections and law enforcement officials review NIDA's tips and recommendations, Chandler hopes one thing remains clear. “We worked very hard to try and pull together a comprehensive document that would be really important for the criminal justice field,” Chandler says. “When you are talking about these offenders, it's directly related to public safety, because they are returning to your communities. There is an incredible opportunity in criminal justice to intervene in a positive way and change the lives of those suffering from drug addiction.” And for individuals like Bell, NIDA recommendations, along with help from organizations like TASC, can make all the difference. “My drug addiction was a cycle that had to be broken,” Bell recalls. “I received treatment in prison, group therapy, individual counseling and aftercare. All of those things helped re-instill my confidence that I could do something with my life other than use drugs and commit crimes.” |
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