Page 4351 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 22 September 2010
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will break the law and attempt to introduce illicit substances and other items into the centre. It is also an indication of the effectiveness of the measures in place.
I will also outline some of the programs offered to prisoners as part of our approach to address both demand and harm reduction. Firstly, the Solaris therapeutic community—a crime prevention initiative of the government—has been established for offenders committed to addressing their drug dependency issues. The therapeutic community is a structured and segregated environment where people with common addictions—for example, alcohol and drug dependence—live together and learn from and support each other.
The program duration is six months and it uses a staged throughcare program that encompasses assessment, readiness, treatment, transition and release. The program also supports participants to learn and develop pro-social behaviours, effective communication skills, educational and vocational skills, together with emotional and cognitive resilience skills. Admission to the therapeutic community is on a voluntary basis.
Since the commencement of operations at the AMC, the government has seen four intakes of prisoners into the Solaris therapeutic community, with an average retention rate of 83 per cent across all intakes. I should say that this figure, an 83 per cent retention rate, demonstrates that the vast majority of prisoners who enrol in the program are committed and clearly wish to address their alcohol and drug dependency issues.
Further, the therapeutic community operates within the throughcare case management model that underpins the AMC’s operations, enabling offenders to continue their treatment after release during their period of community supervision. Prisoners released into the community following completion of the therapeutic community program may be eligible for short-term supported accommodation within the ACT corrections service managed accommodation program or community linkages are facilitated with other drug rehabilitation programs in the community.
The managed accommodation program is another crime prevention initiative funded by the government. It was implemented in late 2009 to address the criminogenic needs of high-risk recidivist offenders by providing accommodation in the community and addressing their alcohol and drug-related issues. Since the commencement of AMC operations, over 25 offenders have been provided with accommodation support through that particular program.
Since the commencement of operations at the AMC, the government has also offered a range of alcohol and other drug programs to its prisoners, including the health and wellbeing program, the AOD first steps relapse prevention program and the alcohol and other drug back in control relapse prevention program, as well as a successful opiate replacement therapy program—in other words, the methadone program.
The first steps program aims to help deal with the challenges faced when ceasing or reducing substance use. The program examines factors that trigger substance use and offers healthy alternatives. It assists in the development of knowledge, skills and confidence in making informed decision around substance use.
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