DATE: Tuesday, October 28, 1997             TAG: 9710280020

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:   39 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

REHABILITATION

Virginia prisons help inmates change

Staff writers Laura LaFay and Holly Heyser addressed nonsecurity staffing and rehabilitation issues within the Department of Corrections (news, Oct. 12 and 15). Their reports would lead one to believe that the Department of Corrections is doing little if anything for inmates in the way of programming and treatment. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Since 1994, substance abuse, life skills and sex-offender programs have been developed and standardized at all facilities. ``Breaking Barriers,'' a positive-attitude and goal-setting program, has been added to the Department's curriculum and has been provided in 20 prisons to thousands of inmates. The cognitive-behavioral program has also been added. Staff training is designed to accompany all inmate programs to ensure that staff members are prepared to deliver services.

Further, over 100 prison counselors have received 220 hours of training to qualify them to become state-certified substance-abuse counselors. National consultants have been brought to Virginia to provide technical assistance for substance-abuse treatment, further improving operational effectiveness. Innovative programming for women offenders has also been designed to meet their special needs.

The Indian Creek Correctional Center in Chesapeake is quickly becoming a national model for drug treatment. The prison is an entire therapeutic community serving more than 800 adult male inmates. It utilizes peer confrontation of negative behavior, combined with vocational training, job counseling and educational programs to assist offenders in moving towards being productive members of society.

Scott Richeson

Statewide program director

Virginia Department of Corrections

Richmond, Oct. 22, 1997

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