The Future of Arizona’s Tent City Jail – Addiction Treatment

The tent city jail is a state-operated jail facility in Arizona. In recent months, it has made its way on to headlines as a result of potential plans to transform the facility into a center for addiction treatment. The tent city jail is a facility that consists of several outdoor tents that prisoners reside in. These outdoor tents are associated with cruel and inhumane conditions due to the cold months of winter and the unbearable heat. The jail was built during the rise of Sheriff Joe Arpaio as part of a no-nonsense campaign which was meant to send a message to criminals.

Here prisoners work hard-labor jobs while eating food that the Sheriff himself boasts is terrible, and admittedly demeaned in the name of restitution. Fortunately, this is all coming to an end as the election of new Sheriff Paul Penzone promises not only a change but dignity for those who may need it the most— substance abusers.

Seeking a Solution

Penzone recognizes that the majority of Tent City’s inmates are drug offenders, or have gotten a DUI, and may not need punishment, but rather addiction treatment. With that knowledge and the unarguable fact that the nation is experiencing an Opiate abuse epidemic, Penzone sought to turn Tent City’s forbidding past into a brighter future for those serving time for substance abuse issues, or probation violations related to drug relapse. His idea was to re-purpose the facility into a state-funded drug treatment center.

The plan was officially announced in February of this year, including the closing of tent city, a full remodel and adding additional facilities which will serve as employment and housing buildings. The facility will be an extension to an existing program known as Mosaic- which evolved from the previously longstanding Alpha program— which will be 7 weeks long and will focus on helping criminals deal with trauma and behaviors that lead to criminal and substance abuse behaviors. Additionally, the employment center will help inmates learn job and interviewing skills, and provide a housing building that will help reduce homelessness issues in Maricopa County. All in all, the project aims to reduce the occurrence of repeat offenders in the Arizona jail system and reduce the rate of substance abuse relapse among former inmates.

Addiction Treatment

The new and improved facility is set to open in the summer of 2018, with an additional 700 beds between the corrections center and the employment center. Because the program is only 7 weeks in length, the facility should help rehabilitate 1,747 inmates per year, greatly combating the Opiate crisis in Arizona, while also reducing tax dollars used to house inmates for repeat offenses related to drugs and Alcohol.

While the initial investment cost is estimated at approximately $20 million, the plan also included an additional facility which would house prisoners, therefore taking money away from private prison owners, while also cutting costs on the amount of money spent annually in the Arizona jail systems by reducing the amount of returning offenders.
This new initiative is being called an opportunity by Sheriff Penzone, who recognizes that addiction needs to be treated— not punished— and is approaching the situation with both compassion and radically insightful strategy.

ByNick Jones

How Residential Drug Treatment Programs Give Back to the Community

According to the University of Pennsylvania Health System, addictions cost corporations $93 billion a year in lower productivity and insurance premiums. Beyond the economic costs, alcohol and drugs play a role in 52% of car accident fatalities. While the cost of residential drug treatment programs is paid by families and addicted individuals, the cost of the addiction is spread out over everyone in society. From violent crime rates to educational problems, addictions affect every part of our lives.

How Residential Drug Treatment Programs Benefit Society

Currently, one out of four high school students has a problem with drinking. A third of students have tried an illegal drug. Alcohol and drugs negatively impact school systems and lead to problems in the workplace later on. In addition, 10 to 23% of workers use drugs on the job. As a result, these employees and their co-workers have a higher risk of accidents and injuries while they are at work. While only the addicted individual suffers the addiction, all of society feels the repercussions. Once these people enter recovery, they can return to being productive members of society again.

Residential Drug Treatment Programs and Family Bonding

For the families affected by drug addiction, treatment programs are one of the first ways that they start to heal. Over the course of an addiction, addicted individuals may have stolen items or money for drugs. Often, these people prioritize their addiction over everything in their life. As a result, family relationships and trust are left behind. Once patients end their addiction, they are able to rebuild these connections in family therapy. Family members are also able to recognize the ways they enabled the drug use and welcome their loved one back into the family.

Children are particularly harmed by drug abuse. Studies show that children of substance abusers are more likely to be abused or neglected than their peers. They may lack proper immunizations, medical care or dental care. Even basic necessities like shelter, food and water may be forgotten in the rush to get another fix.

Preventing Disease

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 123,235 adults with AIDS in 2003 developed the disease after injecting drugs. While this disease obviously impacts the individual, it can also be spread to loved ones and other drug users. By getting clean, individuals are preventing blood-borne illnesses that could spread to the people that they care about.

Many of the problems associated with drug abuse are reduced or eliminated once the addicted individual becomes sober. While getting clean is rarely easy, residential treatment centers can help. If you or a loved one needs help with an addiction, contact Recovery in Motion at (866) 418-1070 today.

ByNick Jones

Arizona Substance Abuse Programs Offer Treatment for Drugs & Alcohol

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) research, most individuals who receive treatment in programs for substance addiction are successful in stopping their drug use. They reduce the amount of criminal behavior and improve mental processes. Programs also display helping people make changes in their work and social settings.

Substance Abuse Programs Treat People With Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Substance abuse programs effectively treat patients who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. If you’re wondering if you or someone you love may need residential treatment, there are some indicators of dependence on drugs or alcohol that can help you justify consideration of substance abuse programs.

A person with an addiction problem suffers from at least three of these indicators:

Use of the drugs or alcohol has continued for a year or longer
More of the substance is needed to feel the same effects, than at first use
If use is stopped, physical stress is felt
The intent was to just use the substance one time or on a few occasions, but use continued
Much time is spent using, trying to obtain the substance, or sobering up
Work quality has suffered and/or too much work time is missed
Negative consequences don’t stop the use of the substance

Anyone able to affirm that three or more of the above statements apply to their own situation should enter one of the available Arizona substance abuse programs for treatment.

Another justification for Arizona treatment is that of substance abuse’s effects on the brain. The brain changes during substance abuse:

Dopamine transmitters responsible for pleasure stop working, causing people to feel depressed when they aren’t using
Gray matter volume may be reduced, decreasing healthy nerve tissue in the brain
The hippocampal region of the brain can be damaged, affecting short-term memory and other functioning

How Addiction Is Treated in Arizona Substance Abuse Programs

Quality Arizona substance abuse programs, such as Recovery in Motion, address the addiction and its effects on the brain through treatment, which includes the following:

12-step programs
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Counseling and group therapy
Other evidence-based therapies
Dual-diagnosis treatment

Together, these therapies can help the individual recover from prolonged substance abuse and many of the effects on the brain can be healed.

Recovery In Motion Arizona Substance Abuse Programs

Recovery in Motion of Tucson provides dual-diagnosis treatment employing multiple evidence-based therapies within affordable and effective addiction treatment programs. These programs combine as part of comprehensive treatment plans to help patients recover from substance abuse for the long term.

Every day of substance abuse leads you farther down the dark road of physical dependence, damage to the brain and effects on other parts of the body. Effective treatment is necessary. Only through professional treatment can recovery be achieved and maintained for a lifetime. Rooms are available at Recovery in Motion, so call 866.418.1070 to learn more now.