The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety's Program Division provides funding under the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Formula Grant (RSAT) Program. This funding is provided to Massachusetts through the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance.
The RSAT Grant Program provides formula grant funds to the states to develop or enhance residential substance (drug and alcohol) abuse treatment programs for adult and juvenile offenders in state and local correctional facilities. RSAT programs must:
· Last between 6 and 12 months. Each offender must participate in the program for not less than 6 months and not more than 12 months.
· Be provided in residential treatment facilities set apart from the general correctional population.
· Focus on the substance abuse problems of the inmate.
· Develop the inmate's cognitive, behavioral, social, vocational, and other skills to solve the inmate's substance abuse and related problems.
The RSAT Program encourages states to adopt comprehensive approaches to substance abuse treatment for offenders, including relapse prevention and aftercare services. In designing and implementing the RSAT Program, states must ensure coordination between correctional representatives and alcohol and drug abuse agencies at the state and, if appropriate, local levels. States must also agree to implement or continue to require testing for drug and alcohol use by inmates in residential substance abuse treatment programs and include those who are released from residential treatment programs who remain in the custody of the state.
Please anticipate FFY 2005 grant funding information and an application for the RSAT Program in July 2005 with awards made in September 2005. For more details, please contact Donna Cuomo at donna.cuomo@state.ma.us or 617-725-3355 as of February 23.