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CSAT Criminal Justice Projects and Programs

Treatment Linkages Projects

The Division of State Programs assists States to improve substance abuse treatment among offenders, with a major focus on creating linkages between State treatment and criminal justice systems. The Division carries out a broad array of services, including technical assistance, training, conferences, and the development of technical reports and guidelines. Current highlights include:

1. Criminal Justice Linkages Project, part of the State Systems Development Program (SSDP) in support of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. This 3­year project will provide individualized technical assistance to 35 States in building coordinated State systems that link treatment, justice, and health agencies.

   The first phase involves review of the existing State systems and culminates in a "developmental action plan for technical assistance" reflecting the States' needs and priorities. In phase two, key State decisionmakers set up their strategy for utilizing CSAT's technical assistance, which will focus on assessment, case management, and coordination. (For further project information, see Linking State AOD and Justice Systems.)

2. Training on AOD Treatment Issues. Designed for State legislatures and State judicial officials, this project is designed to facilitate coordination and communication between State legislative and judicial bodies and the AOD field. Training is provided in conjunction with the directors of the State alcohol and drug abuse agencies. It is supported through an interagency agreement with the State Justice Institute, mandated by Congress to provide assistance in improving operation of the State courts.
3. Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPs). CSAT is currently developing a series of TIPs or treatment guidelines on issues pertaining to substance-abusing criminal justice populations. CSAT's procedure is to convene a consensus panel of experts in the field to develop the TIPs, which are practical documents designed for use by State agencies. The following TIPs, emphasizing critical issues in the linking of justice and treatment agencies, are under development:
   • Screening and Assessment of AOD-Abusing Adults in the Criminal Justice Population
   • Treatment Planning through Case Management Methodologies for AOD-Abusing Offenders
   • Combining AOD Treatment with Intermediate Sanctions
   • Combining AOD Treatment with Models for Diverting Adult Criminal Offenders
   • Combining AOD Treatment with Models for Diverting Juvenile Offenders
   • Components on juvenile justice in Screening and Assessment of Substance Abusing Adolescents and in Treating Substance Abusing Adolescents
   • Treatment Considerations for Corrections (a project with the National Institute of Justice to adapt other CSAT treatment protocols to criminal justice populations)
4. Relapse Prevention Project. This 3­publication series, to be available in 1993, provides practical information on preventing relapse among offenders—a particularly vulnerable population. The documents include:
   • An executive briefing on the dynamics of relapse for judges, legislators, and treatment providers, with program examples
   • A prevention relapse workbook for criminal justice populations
   • A counselor manual for use by paraprofessional counselors in criminal justice settings
   
   
   

Demonstration Projects

CSAT funds demonstration projects to expand and enhance treatment for substance abusers under criminal justice supervision. All projects incorporate the CSAT comprehensive care model and a continuum of treatment, health, and mental health services for both incarcerated (prisons/jails/juvenile facilities) and nonincarcerated offender populations.

Each project supports interagency criminal justice and human services linkages. In line with CSAT's comprehensive treatment philosophy, these include courts, corrections, probation/parole, substance abuse treatment, health and mental health, education, and work skills. To insure integrity and accountability, random drug testing is a requirement for each project. The demonstration grants include:

1. Prison-based treatment. Six State Departments of correction are currently receiving demonstration grants to improve and expand substance abuse treatment services in a variety of institutions, based on comprehensive State treatment plans. Projects include "treatment prisons" of 20 treatment units (Alabama), a women's prison (New York), and a range of 12-step and modified therapeutic communities in other prisons. Seven additional States have received technical assistance through a national contract.
2. Jail-based treatment. Four metropolitan jails are currently receiving demonstration grants to develop a spectrum of treatment services for jail inmates. Projects involve screening; assessments for health, mental health, and substance abuse; and a range of individual and group treatment modalities. All projects involve transition planning and community aftercare.

   A CSAT contract provides technical assistance to jails. Technical assistance activities include preplanning assessments, treatment design, cross-training, continuing care system planning, and evaluation.

3. Diversion to treatment and treatment for high risk probation/parole clients. Sixteen demonstration projects support a range of diversion-to-treatment concepts, and treatment for "high risk" probation/parole clients. Intensive day treatment centers stand out in this group.
4. Adolescent/juvenile justice treatment. In fiscal year 1991, CSAT combined adolescent and juvenile justice funding to support a new program for treatment services for this important population. Twenty-eight demonstration projects were funded, including State juvenile justice agencies (institutions) and community-based consortiums for incarcerated or at-risk youth. Two new 1993 Criminal Justice Program Announcements will include juvenile institutional and community-based treatment populations.

For further information on CSAT demonstration projects, contact any of the CSAT Project Officers at (301) 443-6533. Contract officers include Steve Shapiro, John McGovern, Suzanne Baranik, and Nicholas Demos.

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