Idaho’s newest correctional facility, aimed at men with drug and alcohol problems, now has 50 offenders in the early stages of its 90-day treatment program. The Correctional Alternative Placement Program (CAPP) started housing offenders earlier this month, and will reach its capacity in October of 400 men taking eight hours of training and classroom activities a day.
CAPP, located south of Boise, is run by the privately-owned Management and Training Corporation (MTC), which built the facility and has a five-year contract with the state. The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) pays MTC approximately $10 million a year to run CAPP. The average cost per inmate is less than at state-run prisons, and the men receive more training in drug and alcohol treatment than is available at other facilities.
Three of the first 25 inmates at CAPP discussed their first week at the facility. Nathan Reidle said that he and other inmates appreciate being in the new building.
CAPP will run two eight-hour shifts of classroom education and other treatment programs, spanning from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Daniel Vasquez said the eight hours of programming are more than sitting at a desk and taking notes.
Kyle McGinnis said the 90-day program would offer him a new opportunity to learn new life strategies.
All three inmates shared what offenses, and what problems with drugs and alcohol, landed them in IDOC custody and CAPP.
Offenders can come to CAPP either after breaking the terms of their probation and parole, or through a retained jurisidiction program, when a judge suspends their sentence. By going through the retained jurisdiction program, which also includes a 180-day program and soon a 270-day program, offenders can spend less time in correctional facilities, which could save the state millions of dollars each year.
After finishing the program, the men will be sent back into the community. Vasquez said the true test of whether the treatment program at CAPP is successful for offenders will be in six or eight months, when the men have had a chance to re-enter society, but hopefully not their old addictions.
McGinnis said that when he completes the program, he’d like to be a mentor to others going through similar problems with alcohol and drugs.
Shane Evans, IDOC’s education and treatment division chief, said the department is looking to start a similar treatment program for women at the South Boise Women’s Correctional Center. He said IDOC has the space to run a program for 60 women, but would need to hire more staff, which is difficult given the state’s fiscal situation. Lawmakers may need to find several million more dollars in the current budget to pay for CAPP and other IDOC spending.
I think this is a fantastic program, it is just what we need! I hope they get the funding to add 60 women to CAPP. These people are going to re-enter our community so we might as well spend some of this money on making them a working part of our community.
They should have had this program in the prison system a long time ago and there probably wouldn’t have been as many returning offenders as there has been. I hope this program works for all the people who take it because prison is not the answer for them. They just made a mistake in their lives so they just need to be sit on a better path so they won’t make that mistake again.
it was an exellent program. i was in unit 1 45b of the 6th group at capp. great counsoler. could definatly give alil more food.
So does this program also help to get a GED, or is it strictly rehab? Also, I have read that you only need a 6th grade or higher education to be accepted, is this true, or have they upped it to having to have a GED to qualify?
The program is a good idea and the actual counseling and time in class has really helped unfortunatly the correction staff does nothing to encorage our trough and as the program went on the correctional officers up to the warden actually served to hinder us in our programing. The rules were always changing and often contradicted the lessons being taught in the classrooms. The warden has never worked in correction before this and is trying to run the place like a max facility. The counselers have also expressed their conserns with the operating staff which has led to their termination or resignation. In the time I was there I witnessed 5 counselers leaving the program due to bad and unorganized management or conflicts with the warden who does not seem to be on board with the goals and original idea of changing the way convicts are treated and striving to help them change. Alot of the inmates are becoming increasingly frustrated with the staff and it has taken focus off of the rehabilitation. I understand that we are convicts and they still need to take nessisary precautions but I believe the programing needs to be priority. The deputy warden when asked by an inmate about this replied this is not about programing this is a prison and if he didn’t. Like it he could have him put in segragation. I don’t think that sounds like he is following the call motto of being bionic (believe it or not I care) The program can and has help many people but even in the three months I was there I watched the program steadily decrease and start to unravel. One of the requirements is that you have at least a ged to be placed their although that was not the case for everyone. I think they need a major overhaul of the managing staff and the facility could be a huge success
I was at CAPP from 11-15-10 to 3-14-11 and it is a decent program but they need to get their fucking rules straightened out and they also need to get their staff figured out……..people are leaving left and right……also the counselors need to do a better job teaching than letting the inmates run things………not all counselors, but most…………..they need to fix their food menu because the food sucks! I am not that big of a guy and I lost 12 pounds! It keeps you alive and that’s about it………one c.o. there that i think is the best is c.o. Gibson……….she actually cares! she treated me and a few others very fair and respectful……that’s about it
My dad just started the program. I thank the guys above for their comments and hope
this will help this 50 year old man of my dad figure his life out and get him off his
alcohol dependance. If any one has any advice on how to help him through this as a family member. I would appreciate the advice.
Thanks
My husband was ordered to do this program and the judge says the will tend to his health issues he needs i biopsy on this throat and posible sugery he also has graves and the jail is not tening to this will the capps progam provide him with the care needed or should i expect his health to deciline even worse
I think it’s to long of a walk…just tried walking this morning to go visit my husband and it’s just to far to walk. I personally think there should be a bus, or someone who lives in Boise to come pick me up, and take me over there and bring me home. And the mail shouldn’t take over a week to get a letter. That’s just totally ridiculous. But I understand.
This is so not fair. I hope he get’s let out before our kids have no father and mother…because right now I am dying from a blood clot in my brain and I got 6 kids to take care of by myself ever since he’s been in there. So I hope he’s almost done so that way, I can know that he’s more than capable of taking care of his respsonsiblities as a dad.
And so thank you for everything you’ve done for my husband but I think it’s time for him to come home. I only got maximum 6 weeks if that to live.