SB1069: Drug and alcohol treatment pilot program; local or regional jail may establish for inmates.

SENATE BILL NO. 1069
Offered January 10, 2007
Prefiled January 9, 2007
A BILL to provide for the establishment of pilot programs for drug and alcohol treatment in local and regional jails.
Patron-- McDougle

Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  § 1. Any local or regional jail may establish a drug and alcohol treatment program for inmates housed within its facilities. Such program, modeled on programs already in use in local correctional facilities in the Commonwealth, shall consist of established methods for assisting people in eliminating the negative influence in their lives of drug or alcohol abuse and addiction. The Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services shall (i) develop a mechanism for tracking participants in each program, (ii) develop a plan for making these programs available statewide in local and regional facilities, and (iii) provide, upon request, technical assistance to local and regional facilities in establishing programs. The Department shall make its tracking mechanism and plan available to all local and regional correctional facilities in the Commonwealth. Each program shall provide the Department with any necessary statistical information. The Department shall make a report to the General Assembly by December 1, 2007, which shall enumerate the participating local facilities, the percentage of the population participating in each facility, the availability of the program on a continuing basis to recidivists regardless of the facility to which they may be committed, and the overall efficacy of the program.