United Community Services Jail Treatment Program

The In-Jail Treatment Program is a pre-sentence program for charged felons who have a substance abuse problem.

The program is based on the belief that:

Every human being has the ability to make choices and changes in life.

Every human being has unique biological, psychological and environmental predisposition's and experiences which have immense influence on decisions to behave, think and feel, but never alleviate choice or responsibility.

We all have responsibility for what we do, think and feel.

The goals of the program are:

To help inmates and clients accept responsibility and make choices which are more beneficial and -responsible for themselves and society as a whole.

 To help participants remain substance free and to stop their criminal activity.

 Changing antisocial and addictive attitudes, values and beliefs, including impulsivity, egocentrism, and poor frustration tolerance, by increasing self-control, self-management and problem solving skills.

The program staff will utilize all of their experience and knowledge to ethically facilitate this process.

Program Description

During their stay, inmates will complete a series of workbooks from the Hazelton substance abuse series, consisting of Intake and Orientation, Criminal and Addictive Thinking, Drug and Alcohol Education, Socialization, Relapse Prevention and Release and Reintegration Preparation.

Inmates will be encouraged to sign up for and attend 12-step meetings while in jail as well as after they are released. Prior to release, they will be aided in acquiring a temporary sponsor, and within a specific amount of time, are encouraged to have a permanent sponsor.

Any inmate who does not have a 12th grade education is expected to participate in the GED program in the jail.

Inmates are expected to follow all jail rules and regulations while incarcerated.

Each inmate will be assigned to a primary counselor and caseworker.

Inmates will be involved in at least nine hours of group counseling and one session of individual counseling each week, Monday through Friday.

Each inmate will have a comprehensive treatment plan based on his/her needs and strengths.

The inmate will also address issues such as anger management, self esteem, relationship skills and family issues.                

What inmate population does the program serve?

There are 41 beds for men available at the Interim jail and 16 beds for women at the Main jail.

There is no limit on the number of persons served in the aftercare component of the program.

Target Populations

An inmate can be considered for assessment into the program if he/she has a substance use problem that led to incarceration.

 Each inmate must have:

A desire to abstain from future use of illegal drugs and alcohol, and not commit further crimes.

A non-weapons felony charge (excludes forcible felonies) which may or may not be drug related. Persons with other charges (forgery, prostitution, theft, etc.) are encouraged to apply.

A willingness to complete up to one year of aftercare services.

Maintain active probationary status within Polk County upon release.

Admission to the Program

When a referral is received, the program staff will contact the jail Classification, County Attorney and Defense Attorney to obtain consent to assess the inmate. Face to face assessment is scheduled after mutual consent is obtained. Once the assessment is complete, the inmate must agree to waive a speedy trial in order to enroll in the program. When the 120 days are complete, the primary counselor will submit a treatment summary with recommendations to the court.

Recommendations will include that the defendant participate in the aftercare component while maintaining probation in Polk County for up to one year.

Who can refer inmates to the program?

Inmates can be referred by , anyone: including assessment staff, jail classification, substance abuse counselors, judges, family members, friends, defense or prosecuting attorneys or the inmate themselves.

Referrals can be given to program staff by telephone, mail or fax.

In-Jail Treatment Program Polk County Interim Jail
2 SW 9th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Tel (515) 280-3860 Fax (515) 883-2683

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