Title: Building the First In-Prison Therapeutic Community for Level IV Custody Offenders at the California State Prison-Los Angeles County (LAC): An Overview
1Building the First In-Prison Therapeutic
Community for Level IV Custody Offenders at the
California State Prison-Los Angeles County
(LAC) An Overview
2Background
- In order to talk about LAC, it is important to
understand both the background of the California
Criminal Justice Initiative.. - And Amitys background in that initiative.
- (More detail is available on the Amity
Foundation website ). - www.amityfoundation.com
3Beginnings..
- 1n November of 1987, CDC Director Jim Rowland
asked Amity Chief Executive Rod Mullen and Deputy
Naya Arbiter to consult. - Were filling up the prisons with drug
offenders, said Rowland, and we are doing
nothing effective about drug abuse while these
offenders are in prison or on parole. -
4Recommendations..
- Mullen Arbiter toured several prisons and
parole regions, then spoke to Rowlands Executive
Staff. - Find a prison that has never had a drug
program, and a Warden who is respected by his
peers and who will support a model program
based on the therapeutic community approachwhich
research demonstrates is the most effective. If
the model shows good results, it can then be
expanded. Mullen Arbiter, 1987
5Rowlands actions
- Director Roland began a task force on the drug
problem.this led to the formation of the Office
of Substance Abuse Programs, headed by David
Winette. - OSAP proposed developing one model program in a
prison, and two parolee networksone in the San
Francisco Bay Area (BASN) the other in San Diego
(P3). - Rowland then placed a call to Warden John
Ratelle
6John Ratelle and R.J. Donovan
- Rowland Warden Ratelle, a 30 year CDC veteran
and asked him if he would host the model program. - Warden Ratelle and Associate Warden Tom Hornung
visited the Amity/Pima County Jail Project in
Tucson, which provided TC treatment for 50
incarcerated substance abusers. - I dont like treatment, said Ratelle, but I
like this.
- A request for proposal was issued in 1990.
- Amity was the successful bidder
7Facility III at R.J. Donovan, 1100 Level III
custody inmates
Amity Housing Unit
Amity Program Trailers
8The housing unit, 200 men double celled...
9Outcomes / Drug Use in Prison
- Warden Ratelle conducted two complete surprise
tests of ALL men in the Amity unit, no TC or
custody staff were warned all men locked down in
their cells at the same time and not released
until all had given a urine specimen - In one test, only one man of 200 was positive for
drugs. - In the second test, none of the men tested
positive.
10Outcomes / Benefits to CDC staff
- There is a similarly positive striking
reduction of work injury, sick leave and other
personal quality of life/cost impact among
custody assigned to the treatment unit Amity
versus officers in all other yards and housing
units.
- David Deitch, Ph.D, Director of the Addiction
Technology Transfer Center at UCSD (1998) From a
six month study conducted by UCSD at the RJ.
Donovan Correctional Facility between January 1,
1997 and June 30th, 1997.)
11Outcomes/Recidivism Reduction
- Comparisons of Inmates who did NOT participate
show that 3/4ths of them were back in prison
three years after release. - But only about 1/4 of the Amity participants who
completed the program were in prison.
From a study conducted by H.Wexler, Ph.D.
1998 NDRI funded by NIDA
12Outcomes / Cost benefits
- The 1997 Legislative Analysts Report on Prison
Population growth determined that if the Amity
results could be replicated through an expansion
of substance abuse treatment to 10,000 beds over
seven years, the state would not have to build an
additional 4,700 beds. That scenario would also
result in a one time capital outlay savings of
210,000,000 with annual savings of 80,000,000 a
year.
13Amity Model adopted by CDC
- The results of the Amity/RJD program have become
the template for the expansion of therapeutic
community type drug treatment within CDC. - In 1996 there were 400 TC beds
- Currently 9,000 beds with funded aftercare have
been authorized by the State Legislature. - Amitys TC at California State Prison at Los
Angeles County, started in 1998, is the first to
bring this type of intensive TC to Level IV
offenders..
14Outcomes / Replication of Model
15Breakthrough
- The Amity program at R.J. Donovan , and the
results that it has achieved, can be considered a
breakthrough in correctionsone of those rare
occasions when that overused term, paradigm
shift is genuinely appropriate. - James Rowland, Director, California Department
of Corrections (retired)
16Significance..
the Criminal Justice Treatment Initiative in
the California Department of Corrections is the
largest single state initiative in U.S. history
targeting criminal drug offenders. The growth
of this initiative can be credited to the
outcomes obtained by the Amity Foundation, which
established the Amity Prison Therapeutic
Community at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional
Facility in November of 1990. Robert Presley,
Agency Secretary, Youth and Adult Correctional
Agency, November, 2000
17CSP-LAC
- Five year contract awarded to Amity Foundation
beginning June, 1998. - Amitys 2nd In-Prison TC (SAP)now have added CTF
Soledad CSP Ironwood (Blythe). - Target Population 200 Level IV inmates with
identified substance abuse problems in their
files (or volunteers). - Amity participants housed on yard D, Building 3.
Trailers built in the vocational area (behind
work change) for Amity program activities.
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19Who are the men in the Amity TC?
- Average age 31 years old-younger than other male
SAPs - Length of current incarceration 4.4 yearsover
twice as long as any other SAP, and and eight
times longer than those at CRC. - 52.5 African-American 19.1 White---20
difference from other SAPs
20- A Morning Meeting During one of the Quarterly
retreat workshops
21Who are the men in the Amity TC?
- 65.5 never married---higher than that of other
SAPs - 63.3 not employed in the 30 days prior to
incarcerationhigher than other SAPs - Heroin cited as the first, second, and third
drug of choice---no other male SAP cites heroin
as any of the the first three drugs of choice. - 16.1 identified on DSM-IV criteria as having no
drug or alcohol dependencehigher than most SAPs
22 23Who are the men in the Amity TC?
- 16 report suicide attempts---higher than other
SAPs - 14.2 years reported as age of first arrestlower
than other SAPs - 21.2 lifetime arrestshigher than other SAPs
- Number of felony convictions 5.2 higher than
other SAPs - Number of years incarcerated 10.2 much higher
than other SAPs - Number of violent felony convictions 2 higher
than other SAPs - 38.9 most recent crime was a crime against a
personmuch higher than other SAPs (CRC programs
report 3-5).
24- Participants articulate their rationalizations
for engaging in criminal, anti-social behavior as
part of the curriculum.
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26Unique Features
- Amity Staff
- Amity Curriculum
- Quarterly intense retreats/workshops for
participants - Quarterly Cross Trainings
- Use of Ceremony
- Use of peer mentors/workers
- Focus on emotional safety, sanctuary
27- The Conclusion of our second retreatResistance,
Resentment, Rationalization.
28Challenges/Obstacles
- Security Obstacles-building key relationships
- Design of Trailers
- Lockdowns
- Rolling Blackouts
- No dedicated housing unit
- Level IV culture mens lengthy incarceration
- Difficulty of obtaining staff
- Two years with no CCIII PAII injured
29TC Curriculum
- All participants are involved in an
comprehensive written curriculum developed by
Naya Arbiter (Extensions, LLC) specifically for
Amity, and specifically for incarcerated drug
abusing offenders. Counselors are trained in the
delivery of the curriculum. - The Curriculum is phased and involves encounter
groups, workshops, seminars, video playback,
psychodrama, written and oral exercises,
post-release planning relationship training
emotional intelligence and moral development
exercises.