Therapeutic Communities Model Summary

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Therapeutic communities model is a model of prison-based drug treatment which inmate struggling with drug addiction is separated from the rest of the prison population. Therapeutic communities programs have been shown to lower the likelihood of recidivism, years after incarceration. Based on the review of the literature, the following recommendations are suggested for correctional administrators: - Implementing more therapeutic communities treatment can lead to reductions in re-arrests due to further drug arrests. - Implementing more therapeutic communities treatment can lead to a more broad range of options for those in low income areas. - Implementing therapeutic communities treatment can lead to a decrease in more disorders than drug …show more content…

Therapeutic communities are among one of the most common forms of drug treatment in prisons. Group activities are an integral part of this treatment model. Therapeutic communities(TC's) directs the entire intervention around many aspects of an individual, "TCs are designed to encourage treatment engagement and personal reflection by utilizing group activities and exercise; addressing other lifelong adjustment problems, such as unemployment and vocational deficits"(Olson and Lurigio, …show more content…

For a drug treatment program to work, the treatment has to be comprehensive and has the ability to conform to every individual situation. Lessons learned in the TC must be internalized in order for their treatment to sufficiently keep the inmate off drugs after their release. The first step for inmates to start their treatment is to understand why they are there, "TCs require participants to assume personal responsibility for their own recovery and to work with others in the community to become sober, law-abiding citizens"(Olson and Lurigio, 2014). For people in prison, time is one of the few resources that is widely available to them. TCs segregate individuals out of prison culture to help them develop pro-social values. Therapeutic communities work hard at giving inmates strict discipline along with a good learning environment. The program uses groups and individuals to provide each other affirmation, instruction and positive feedback. Inmates get to interact with other recovering addicts who can be role models and help develop pro-social values and a positive work ethic. Literature

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