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| Trying to close jail's revolving door |
| By The Hillsboro Argus |
| Published: 10/13/2003 |
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The Washington County, Ore., Jail might as well have a revolving door. You'd think someone deprived of freedom would avoid going back to jail. In reality, it happens all the time. And most chronic reoffenders have something in common: Their lives are defined by their abuse of drugs and alcohol. Because of the abuse, they have a hard time holding down jobs. So they break into your car or your house and steal your identity, they write bad checks and ring up charges on your credit cards and "fence" the purchases for cash. Professionals within the criminal justice system are painfully aware of the link between drug abuse and crime. But few treatment programs work with incarcerated criminals. That's why the Washington County Department of Community Corrections began providing its own treatment. "We used to contract with DePaul but it was one person at a time and the program was six months long," says Karleigh Mollahan. "People waiting for a opening were tying up a jail bed, which is much more expensive than incarceration in the Community Corrections Center." Mollahan is the center's assistant director. At any given time, 24 men and 12 women are enrolled in a 90-day drug and alcohol treatment program at the center, across the street from the county jail in Hillsboro, to learn a new way of living. The men's program began three years ago and was so successful -- defined as a graduate remaining clean and sober for at least a year -- that a women's program was created this year. Although classes are separate because men and women have different issues, counselors Bill Wooford and Lisa Monteblanco work with both genders. "We address criminality and addiction, we have mental health treatment available and transition services are available to provide continuing care. If they're not getting major support after they get out, they're more likely to return," Wooford said. Monteblanco says what graduates do after they leave is the key to an individual's success. "It's not just treatment, you know, 90 days and done. When they leave, they get support." Not everyone is successful, Wooford concedes. "But the success stories outweigh the failures hands down." |
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