Michigan Program Helps Offenders Stay Off Drugs October 6, 2003
News Summary
Michigan's Step Forward program is designed to motivate alcohol and other drug offenders to stay out of jail, receive counseling and recover from their addiction, the Detroit Free Press reported Sept. 30.With Step Forward, thousands of Michigan residents undergo random drug and alcohol tests to ensure that they are substance-free. They call a special number each day to determine if it's their day to be tested. Those who complete the program receive a reduced sentence.
Step Forward also includes a wide range of therapy groups, such as alcohol and drug counseling and anger management.
"Recidivism rates are really difficult to determine," said Barbara Hankey, manager of the Community Corrections Department, which implements the Step Forward program. "But while people are in the program, we have very little recidivism."
Step Forward will be used to conduct a pilot on the effectiveness of saliva tests, which could eventually replace urine samples.
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