Introduction & Psychological Base
It is the intent of the Inmate Drug Rehabilitation and Counselling (IDRC) Program to provide an inmate Drug Psycho-Education and Treatment programmes, which accommodates the needs, interests, and learning styles of modern day Barbadian life. The aim of the IDRC Program is to provide inmates with the information, treatment and the skills necessary to reduce or stop their substance abuse problems and to help them make positive change for the good of themselves and the society at large.
Psycho-Education Group
Psycho-Education is an important program for inmate education of substance abuse and addiction. The goal is to educate inmates about the biological effects of addiction, including how the body becomes addicted to a specific drug. To make them aware of the hazardous chemicals found in drugs and the damage these chemicals can cause to the body, also what the biological consequences of short and long-term use might be. This group will also look at topics of withdrawal, and long-term physiological effects. Psycho-educational topics also include mental health issues related to substance abuse. This is important because some inmates use alcohol, drugs and other stimulants as a way to treat an underlying emotional issue, while others experience mental health issues stemming from their drug abuse.
Treatment Group
The IDRC Treatment Group uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which targets the thoughts, choices, attitudes, and meaning systems that are associated with drug abuse and the deviant lifestyles of inmates who are chronic drug users.
It uses a training approach to teach new skills in areas where inmates show deficits, such as interpersonal problem awareness, generating alternative solutions rather than reacting on first impulse, evaluating consequences, resisting peer pressure, opening up and listening to other perspectives, soliciting feedback, taking other persons’ well-being into account, and deciding on the most beneficial course of action when it comes to their drug addiction problems.
