By Cat Hill
HELENA – Montana state prisoners are getting another chance to overcome addiction.
Department of Corrections officials announced Tuesday that 30 inmates are the first accepted into a new chemical dependency treatment program at the state prison in Deer Lodge.
The secure, remodeled facility provides a 90 to 180-day intensive therapy program, Corrections officials said.
The center has three licensed addiction counselors, three case managers, and a re-entry coordinator.
Inmates will be screened using a chemical dependency evaluation. Only those with high scores indicating a need for residential treatment will be accepted.
A 2016 Council of State Governments report showed a 62 percent increase in drug related arrests in Montana between 2009 and 2015.
Source: JusticeCenter