The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Formula Grant Program is administered by the Corrections Program Office in the Office of Justice Programs, U. S. Department of Justice. The grant program is designed to assist states and units of local government in developing and implementing residential substance abuse treatment programs within correctional and detention facilities.

Delaware’s drug treatment continuum known as Key-Crest, which uses the therapeutic community model, has received national recognition for its success. Research reports that 75% of the offenders who completed the in-prison therapeutic community treatment and after- prison work release programs were drug-free and 70% were arrest free after 18 months, as compared to offenders in the control group, which were only 17% drug-free and 36% arrest free.

The grant award to Delaware was $355,504 in 2000. The funds were used to expand the treatment programs already in place in the Department the Correction and implement RSAT at Ferris School. Specifically, the award was used for:

• Continue Gander Hill expansion of 60 beds;
• Alternative Key Program at Gander Hill;
• Serve 40 youth at Ferris School;
• Provide training for counseling staff at Ferris School; and,
• Expansion of drug testing.

For more information on the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Formula Grant Program in Delaware contact: Valarie Tickle