Stay'n Out

Stay'n Out: In-prison Treatment Programs for Men & Women
Since substance abuse and crime are closely linked, prison offers an ideal setting for providing treatment services to inmates whose lives have otherwise reached an impasse. Since 1977, Stay'n Out has enabled thousands of individuals to address those attitudes and behaviors which led them to prison in the first place, and to develop the life skills and self-confidence needed to eventually become responsible and tax-paying members of society. Stay'n Out has a proven 77% success rate based upon a five-year followup study conducted by National Development and Research Institute, Inc. (Wexler, Lipton et al, 1992). The Stay'n Out program uses a modified version of the therapeutic community (TC) model pioneered in the nineteen-sixties. Participants live on separate units from the general prison population, and participate in group settings, individual counseling and special topic workshops. Each person is responsible for his or her own recovery, but also participates in the life of the whole community, taking on job functions and challenging her or his peers to fulfill their own potential.

Participants move through three major phases as they grow in self-awareness and maturity. After completion, some will become a cadre an assistant to program staff. Upon release from prison, many graduates will participate in programs like Serendipity to further facilitate their return to family and society.

Locations: The program for men is located in the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility, a medium security prison on Staten Island, New York City. The women’s program is located in the Bayview Correctional Facility, a medium security prison in Manhattan.

Licensing: New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). New York Therapeutic Communities, Inc. is the only community-based organization operating an OASAS-licensed program in New York State prisons.

Funding: New York State Department of Correctional Services.

e-mail:generalmailbox@staynout.org