I went to meeting of our local Criminal Justice Commission last week. The commission created a task force called the Criminal Justice, Mental Health and …
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Scott
6:17 am on
April 9th, 2009Hello,
Good article; well written. Hard to believe that a consultant didn’t know about Dual Diagnosis. I always thought that an inmates survival needs and any mentally ill persons survival needs must always be secured first in order to prevent substance relapse, psychiatric relapse and criminal behavior.
About the Recovery from substance addictions: Don’t forget SMART Recovery as well, for people who enjoy a Therapy model for substance addiction treatment, although you won’t get the social support that you get in a 12 step group. Also, Rational Recovery, Women For Sobriety, and the Secular Organizations For Sobriety. The 12 Steps are not the only way to recovery, and speaking from my own experience, a few of the other alcoholics and addicts that I’ve met in a 12 step club are still committing crimes. The socializing in a 12 step club allows a criminal member to get close to a vulnerable woman or man. I learned the hard way to keep my distance from some of the other 12 step club members.
Recovery and staying sober is difficult in every one of the Recovery Programs that I’ve been in, no matter which one it is. It won’t be easy in any of them.
Most people in the Justice system are VERY familiar with 12 step groups and can recite the first step in their sleep.
Scott:
You are absolutely right. There are a lot of other programs out there that work. What I like about AA is that it is free, it is everywhere and virtually 24/7 – 365. Even if you can’t get to a meeting there are internet meetings non-stop.
You are absolutely right about criminals and predators in recovery (and a lot of 13th steppers, too.) It is absolutely despicable, which is why it was so important for me to find a group of recovering women and stay in the middle of the pack. It’s the sheep that wander that get picked off by the wolf.
As for people in the criminal justice system being familiar with 12-step programs, that is not my experience at all. I spent 8 hours a day, five days a week for 12 years in courtroom covering criminal courts. There was only one judge who knew how 12-step programs worked. We even had one judge who referred to recovery as a 10-step program.
I hope we do get to the point where judges, prosecutor, public defenders and attorneys can recite the first step in their sleep. That would be wonderful.
GERSHON... MENDLOVITZ...
12:00 pm on
April 11th, 2009VERY WELL WRITTEN… AND MAKES A LOT OF SENSE…
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