About Therapeutic Community

THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY (TC): These communities target offenders with chronic criminal and substance abuse histories. TC is a drug-free correctional residential setting, using a hierarchical model of treatment stages reflecting increased levels of personal and social responsibility. Peer influence, mediated through a variety of group processes, is used to help individuals learn and assimilate social norms and develop more effective social skills. TC's differ from other treatment approaches principally in their use of the community. The key agents of change are treatment staff and those in recovery. TC members interact in structured and unstructured ways to influence each other’s attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors that are associated with drug use in a comprehensive holistic approach. Alternative Names: Friends-ICI-O; Lifeline—ICC; Team—SICI; STARS—SBWCC

Not all inmates are eligible for placement into a TC. TC placement is based on multiple factors. Factors include, but are not limited to; literacy level, custody level, time to parole eligibility, identified substance abuse issues and the outcome of various assessment tools. For additional information on Therapeutic Communities, please follow the link to the National Institute on Drug Research.

TC PEER SUPPORT-TC AFTERCARE: Peer support or peer based aftercare that is professionally monitored. Offenders begin in the Therapeutic Community and continue the TC culture, language, styles of confrontation, and support into their post-release transition to free society independence. Some of the goals expected from peer support groups are empowerment, role modeling, peer confrontation, trial and error learning, learning from successes and failures of peers, re-socialization, sharing faith, hope and strength, along with emotional support. The primary goal of peer support is to utilize the skills learned in Therapeutic Community for practical use in the community at large.

ALUMNI/MENTOR GROUP: Designed as an additional resource to assist in the transition and recovery efforts of recent TC graduates. Recent TC graduates are called Alumni. They may become Mentors after completion of one year of TC Aftercare. Mentors demonstrate that change is possible and spark new hope for success among the Alumni. Mentors assist Alumni in finding needed resources such as employment, transportation, food, clothing, and recovery materials and temporary sponsorship.