Summary: Drug treatment in federal prisons is reaching only a small fraction of inmates with serious substance abuse problems. The Bureau of Prison's new strategy to provide treatment seems generally well designed, but implementation falls far short of meeting federal inmates needs. As of April 1991, only 364 inmates were receiving treatment in the intensive residential programs, and less than half of the treatment slots were filled. For inmates who complete the intensive program, aftercare services to prevent inmate relapses are not in place. The Bureau did not aggressively encourage more inmates to participate in these programs and did not hire an aftercare coordinator until recently. For inmates with less serious substance abuse problems, needed services are not available in all prisons. Largely due to its failure to hire needed prison staff, the Bureau has fallen behind in meeting its own timetable for standardizing drug education and counseling for inmates. Despite these difficulties, the Bureau plans to expand its treatment program. The cost of this expansion is expected to triple from an estimated $7.2 million in 1990 to $21.8 million in 1992.
