{"id":20763,"date":"2012-04-20T11:26:19","date_gmt":"2012-04-20T15:26:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/?p=20763"},"modified":"2012-04-26T01:06:48","modified_gmt":"2012-04-26T05:06:48","slug":"drug-programme-to-address-inmate-substance-abuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/2012\/04\/drug-programme-to-address-inmate-substance-abuse","title":{"rendered":"Drug Programme To Address Inmate Substance Abuse"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Minister of National Security, O.A.T. "Tommy" Turnquest unveils the plaque to the facility housing participants in Her Majesty's Prisons Challenge Drug Therapy Programme which was launched Thursday. The programme has a duration of 9-12 months and is voluntary. (BIS Photo\/Patrick Hanna)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NASSAU, The Bahamas — Officials at Her Majesty\u2019s Prisons and the Ministry of National Security Thursday launched the HMP Challenge Drug Therapy Programme, which is expected to \u201caggressively address\u201d substance abuse amongst the inmate population at the facility.<\/p>\n

National Security officials say the programme represents \u201ca major step forward in getting at the foundation of substance abuse\u201d amongst the inmate population.<\/p>\n

The challenge programme is a major part of the Government of The Bahamas\u2019 \u201ccomprehensive\u201d five-year National Anti-Drug Strategy (2012-2016), which was launched just less than three weeks ago (March 28).<\/p>\n

Part of that Strategy focuses on the Prison as a \u201cpivotal setting for rigorous treatment and rehabilitation programmes.\u201d That focus is designed to curb demand and treat and rehabilitate inmates in order to better prepare them for re-integration into society.<\/p>\n

The new, more aggressive focus, is a result of research which shows that almost 80 per cent of new admissions to Her Majesty\u2019s Prison, enter the facility \u201cwith drugs in their system.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil now, the Prison had offered a programme of substance abuse education to vulnerable inmates. Clearly this was not enough,\u201d Mr. Turnquest said. \u201cToday\u2019s launch therefore, for the first time, represents a major step forward in getting at the foundation of substance abuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Challenge Programme operates on the belief that substance abuse and criminal behaviour come as a result of distancing oneself from society. In this regard, the evidence suggests that inmates who live in an area specifically designed with intense interventions, tend to internalize pro-social behaviour as opposed to anti-social conduct,\u201d Mr. Turnquest added.<\/p>\n

Based on the \u201cvoluntary participation of affected inmates\u201d, the Challenge Programme has six components and involves inmates participating in three levels of treatment \u2013 Orientation, Core Treatment and the Transition Stage. It takes inmates 9-12 months to complete the programme.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe programme focuses on the development of cognitive and problem-solving skills, life and anger management skills, relapse prevention and rejection of criminal lifestyles,\u201d Mr. Turnquest said.<\/p>\n

The National Security Minister said the Challenge Programme is part of the \u201congoing and wide-in-scope of) Prison Reform and Rehabilitation launched by the Government of The Bahamas since 2007.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rehabilitation thrust at Her Majesty\u2019s Prison has encompassed inmate classification (which ensures that inmates of similar risks and inclinations are housed together); proper sentence planning; a wide range of technical, vocational and academic programmes; attitude adjustment and behaviour modification programmes; a day work release programme as well as a faith-based initiative,\u201d Mr. Turnquest said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe began in 2007 by introducing the Inmate Discharge Certificate which, for focused, repentant inmates, serves as a countermeasure to the Police Character Certificate. We have regularised payment for part-time instructors in our technical\/vocational instructional programme which has led to a doubling of course offerings available to inmates.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdditionally, we have expanded the Extra Mural Work Release Programme and recommenced the Intra-Mural Work Programme and for the past four years, Her Majesty\u2019s Prison has held successful student anti-crime rallies with the assistance of inmates to sensitise young people to the need to lead drug free and crime free lives as part of our deterrent and prevention programmes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are firmly of the belief that it is easier to bring about change by uplifting and educating inmates, rather than by dehumanising them,\u201d Mr. Turnquest added.<\/p>\n

By Matt Maura
\nBahamas Information Services<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Officials at Her Majesty\u2019s Prison and the Ministry of National Security launched the HMP Challenge Drug Therapy Programme, to \u201caggressively address\u201d substance abuse amongst the inmate population.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10223285771444175_51037792744":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[67,270],"class_list":["post-20763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-headlines","tag-drugs","tag-prison"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20763"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20763\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}