24 September
Fourteen prisoners graduated from the Drug Treatment Unit (DTU) programme at Christchurch Men’s Prison, taking a big step towards turning their lives around and finding something to celebrate after an unsettling time for Christchurch prisons.
The graduation on 23 September was attended by staff from CareNZ, prison staff and family members. Despite the recent stress and disruption caused by the Christchurch earthquake, both the staff and the prisoners at the graduation were smiling.
Christchurch Men’s Prison had to relocate 530 prisoners following the Christchurch earthquake due to safety concerns at the site. Around 300 prisoners remain at the Prison in the lower security units, which are functional, safe and secure.
Prison Manager John Roper believes the DTU is a vital part of the prison’s rehabilitation efforts, and is very pleased that the prisoners were able to remain at the site to complete the programme.
“The six-month treatment programme is demanding. It requires real commitment from prisoners who are genuinely willing to address their addictions. They have had to successfully complete all the stages of the programme to the satisfaction of clinical staff, which requires commitment and motivation.
“The prisoners have been required to continually challenge themselves with regard to their attitudes, values and beliefs that led to their substance abuse. I am pleased that we were able to recognise this commitment at yesterday’s graduation,” Mr Roper says.
Notes to reporter:
CareNZ is the contracted provider for clinical treatment of prisoners at Christchurch Men’s DTU.
The Department of Corrections’ Drug and Alcohol Strategy includes doubling the number of prisoners receiving drug and alcohol treatment from 500 to 1000 per year by 2011.
This includes the establishment of three new Drug Treatment Units at Otago Corrections Facility, Wanganui and Auckland Prison. which will run a condensed three month programme to treat prisoners serving shorter sentences.
The Otago Unit commenced its first programme in March 2010. The Drug and Alcohol Treatment programme at Wanganui will be the first to be integrated within a Maori Focus Unit.
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