UCHRA’s Adult Community Corrections Program honored 17 graduates who completed the program, its third year in existence.
UCHRA Executive Director Mark Farley said the program is part of a partnership with the Tennessee Department of Corrections. Individuals who struggle with substance abuse report to the program for 9-12 months rather than be incarcerated. Farley said the program serves as a day reporting center.
“They spend the day, every day of the week, with licensed clinical staff who are working with them on life skills and, working through the trauma that they have had in their life, and working through how to overcome the addiction,” Farley said.
Farley said everybody’s story is different and that it is moving to see graduates complete the program. Farley said the program is intensive, but it is a better option than incarcerating people.
“The whole purpose of this program is to keep them sober and keep them on the right path, and we view it as a workforce development program,” Farley said. “This is the ability to get them back on their feet and get them back employed, where they are contributing not only to their own care, but back to society.”
Farley said it is cheaper to send people who are struggling with drug addiction ot the program than sending them to jail. However, Farley said the program is not for everyone.
“Most of the individuals we are dealing with are first-time offenders,” Farley said. “They are in the legal system because of their addiction, not addiction is a separate issue, it’s usually led to them being there in the first place, so it’s a great opportunity to give them a good second chance and that’s what we see out of these individuals both men and women and they are all different ages.”
Farley said substance abuse continues to be a major issue not only in the Upper Cumberland but nationwide.
