On Monday, 36 inmates graduated from the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program (RSAT), one of the many drug rehabilitation programs within the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC). This graduation was notable because, for the first time, 15 participants from the Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) program were included, ADOC reports.
The graduation ceremony was held in the Chapel at Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer, Ala., where participants received Certificates of Completion.
Sixty-five percent of the inmates in the U.S. have a substance use disorder (SUD). The Office of Health Services at ADOC administers five SUD programs that focus on the needs of the ADOC inmate population.
Commissioner John Q. Hamm stated, “All of ADOC’s drug rehabilitation programs, including the new MOUD program, help to reduce prison violence, disciplinaries, and overdoses in ADOC facilities. The drug rehabilitation programs are summarized below.
The RSAT, also known as the ‘Crime Bill’ due to Act Number 2024 – 426, is a six-month residential program offered at eight facilities: Bibb Correctional Facility, Bullock Correctional Facility, Donaldson Correctional Facility, Easterling Correctional Facility, St. Clair Correctional Facility, Staton Correctional Facility, Tutwiler Women’s Correctional Facility, and Ventress Correctional Facility.
The 8-Week Substance Abuse Program (SAP) utilizes an evidence-based program developed by The Change Company, and the 8-Week Co-Occurring Disorder Program addresses SUD issues as well as psychological/psychiatric issues experienced by inmates.
The 8-Week Matrix Intensive Substance Abuse Program, consistent with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, specializes in the treatment of stimulant use and abuse.
The 120-Hour Relapse Prevention Program supports individuals who have completed one of the other programs offered as they re-enter the general population.
The MOUD program was initially piloted at Donaldson and then expanded to the other RSAT program facilities. The capacity for MOUD in the RSAT dorms across all eight correctional facilities is 200 beds, and there is a vision for continued growth. Currently, 191 inmates are actively participating in MOUD treatment.
The MOUD implementation team for ADOC includes Candace Rachel, MOUD Director; DeShaun Wings, MOUD Coordinator with YesCare; Donaldson Warden Vencini Smith; and Donaldson Captain Carl Sanders. Warden Smith addressed the graduates and encouraged them to continue their journey of sobriety. ADOC continues to develop and expand the MOUD program.
