Pubdate: Mon, 12 Jan 2004 Source: Messenger-Inquirer (KY) Copyright: 2004 Messenger-Inquirer Contact: http://www.messenger-inquirer.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1285 Author: Justin Willis, Messenger-Inquirer JAIL TO UNVEIL SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT FACILITY Center Would Be a First for County An intensive substance abuse center at the Daviess County Detention Center could open as early as this month, offering select inmates a chance to deal with drug and alcohol problems before being released. Since July, when Daviess County Jailer David Osborne first said he intended to turn a vacant building at the jail complex into a treatment center, he has gathered support from elected leaders, substance abuse professionals and lawmakers. The jail has offered 12-step programs for years, but the separate building would require a strictly regimented lifestyle with counseling and monitoring -- the first program of its kind in Daviess County. "Anybody who knows about this problem knows this is what it's going to take," Osborne said. "Hardly a day goes by that a family member doesn't come in here ... and they're just devastated by their loved one's addiction. It'll just pay dividends in the whole community." A sprinkler system must be installed and the plans approved in Frankfort before the building can open. Daviess Fiscal Court has allocated the money. The jail must hire a project coordinator and has narrowed the search to three people. The program could begin running either this month or February. Osborne and a committee working to form the center have examined treatment facilities throughout the state. So far the best option appears to be something similar to the therapeutic community model at the Green River Correctional Complex in Central City, Osborne said. That program is slightly larger than the 24 positions Daviess County would offer. The program combines a 12-step program with intensive classes that explore a participant's history and lifestyle while working to change negative aspects through hours of daily classes, which could last for several months. Participants would be inmates who are nonviolent and minimum security risks. The program would begin with men but could eventually expand to include women, he said. The program will not work with everyone but could make a significant difference, he said; it has a 40 percent success rate. The building, which opened in 1996, sits on the front lawn of the jail complex but has been vacant for about five years. The building will be staffed around the clock. Since announcing his intentions of creating such a center, Osborne has received more than 100 letters of support, including one from U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis, a Cecilia Republican. Support has also been offered by an extensive network of local resources including the Lighthouse Recovery program, Community Solutions for Substance Abuse, RiverValley Behavioral Health and an offer of pro bono work from Counseling Associates among others, said Gary Hall, senior director at RiverValley's Regional Prevention Center. Hall is a member of a committee working at the jail to start the program. Statistics indicate the majority of people in jail have a history of alcohol and drug problems, Hall said. "To me its a primary indicator that a treatment service would be justifiable," Hall said. "This is something that a lot of people don't understand." Substance abuse treatment correlates with a decrease in crime, Hall said. Most methamphetamine addicts return to jail after serving their first sentence, but that could be prevented for many with good treatment and adequate followup, Hall said. A misperception among many people is that treatment is only successful when people voluntarily seek it. Research indicates that people respond to treatment when they are threatened with divorce, loss of a job or, especially, jail time, he said. Other changes at the jail this year will include: . More Indiana inmates. Daviess County has negotiated a deal to house as many as 110 Indiana inmates in Daviess County. The daily payments are $35 - an annual revenue increase of $400,000 - compared to the roughly $25 per day for convicted Kentucky inmates. Plus, Indiana will pay for the inmate's medical expenses, which will save Daviess County money. Indiana will also transport the inmates to and from the jail, saving time and money. . The jail is using two electronic monitoring bracelets on a trial basis and plans to expand their usage in the coming year. The equipment would keep tabs on select inmates staying at home instead of in the jail. The bracelets notify authorities if the wearer gets too far away from a receiver connected to a grounded phone line at his home or job. The devices have produced positive results. The program would allow low-risk inmates to be monitored without the county paying for food, housing and medical expenses. . The jail is beginning an in-house anonymous tip line. Each inmate's common area is already equipped with a phone, and the new program would allow inmates to report contraband and weapons in the jail or tips about crime in the community. . The Good News Jail & Prison Ministry is expected to begin this month or in February. The program places a full-time chaplain inside the jail who is available for inmates and medical staff. A local minister has been chosen and is undergoing training. . Sometime this year two secure fenced areas will be constructed near two steel doors at the main jail building. The fenced areas will provide a safe alternative for inmates in the event of a temporary jail evacuation. . Sometime this spring, the jail will begin a large on-site garden in the large grassy area between the jail and the Ohio River. Inmate labor will be used to grow produce inside a fenced area. The program will help feed inmates, and extra produce will be donated to local charities. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake