In 1989, the Federal Bureau of Prisons started a drug abuse program to help chan

ge the mentality of prisoners who were in jail for drug-related offenses and inc
rease chances for success when released. The inmate starts by learning about dru
g abuse. This, in turn, leads to the prisoner beating their addiction and workin
g their way back into society.
History
Drug Abuse programs have been offered by the Bureau of Prisons since the 1960s.
Specifically, after the passage of the Narcotic Rehabilitation Act (NARA) in 196
6, drug abuse treatment programs became more accessible. The first treatment uni
t opened after the NARA was made law was the federal prison in Danbury, Connecti
cut in 1968. Now, every federal prison has some sort of drug abuse treatment pro
gram.
Requirements
The Bureau of Prisons substance abuse program is utilized mainly in 3 instances;
when there is evidence that drugs or alcohol have played a role in the offender
's crime, a violation of parole or house arrest or the judge doing the sentencin
g ordered the perpetrator to be in a substance abuse program while in prison. An
prisoner can also volunteer for the program by sending a request to their case
manager.
Non-Residential Program
The Bureau of Prisons has a nonresidential treatment division available at all B
OP locations. The nonresidential option lasts 40 hours over the course of 10 wee
ks with members attending roughly 2 times a week. The nonresidential option help
s those participating examine underlying causes of addiction, types of addiction
and its effects on the user and those connected. The treatment could also inclu
de meetings with Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous and random drug testing.
Residential Program
Residential programs are available at less BOP institutions (about 50) and have
the inmates living together away from others who are not in the program. The res
idential program is more intensive lasting about 500 hours with a half day devot
ed to classroom teaching, life skills and additional exercises designed to help
the inmate prepare for life out of prison. The residential program is 3-4 hours
a day over a 9-month period then the inmate is released into the general populat
ion. When the inmate is released there are services available in the general pri
son population as well as any halfway house if that is a part of the sentence.
Success
According to internal Bureau of Prisons studies, these programs reduce repeat of
fenses by men by 16% and 18% in women. There are also multiple incentives to com
plete a drug abuse program including but not limited to; up to a yearâ s time off o
f a sentence, cash awards, and entry into a 6-month halfway house. If an offende
r has the opportunity to participate in a drug abuse program, there are many opp
ortunities to be successful upon re-entry into society.