Offender Programs Unit

24 Wolcott Hill Road
Wethersfield, CT 06109
Phone: (860) 692-7494
Fax: (860) 692-7586
Directions.

Director: William Murphy

This Unit provides a comprehensive evaluation of all programming offered by the Department in relation to the mission statement.

The Unit seeks to insure that the Department meets the programmatic needs of the offender population, as identified through each inmate's individual Offender Accountability Plan.

The Unit maintains a Compendium of Programs that are offered within the Department. Through evidence based analysis the Unit seeks to insure that the finite financing afforded the agency is spent on programming that is of proven effectiveness in altering the criminology of the offender population.  A computer based RT 3M assessment process records the programmatic participation of every offender in a researchable data base.

The Department's addiction services provide a graduated system of substance abuse treatment programs. The agency's Objective Classification System indicates that 88% of the inmates who come into the system have a substance abuse history that suggests a significant need for some level of substance abuse treatment. Based on the offender's individual need, which is determined through a formal assessment, they may receive treatment in; Tier 1, a nine session Pre-Release Substance Treatment Program focusing on re-entry and reintegration issues for offenders returning to the community; Tier 2, a four times a week, intensive out patient program with a curriculum that helps develop an understanding of addiction; Tier 3, a four month residential substance abuse treatment program designed to provide recovery and relapse prevention skills with a focus on reentry or: Tier 4, which is a residential six  month program in a modified therapeutic community setting.  Tiers 2,3 and 4 offer an Aftercare Program designed to provide a continuum of care and maintenance of recovery.  A Community Addiction Services Program provides substance abuse treatment for offenders placed under supervision in the community.

Addiction Services Program Structure

An evaluation of the Tier Structure, conducted by Brown and Brandeis Universities in 2002, found that inmates who attended any Tier program were significantly less likely to be rearrested. Of those inmates who participated in Tier programming, 32.5% were re-arrested within one year compared to a rate of 45.9% for those who did not attend. Additionally, the severity of the crimes committed was also reduced.