Corrections_Today_July-August_2022_Vol.84_No.4

a comprehensive initiative designed to increase the level of safety and security in correctional facilities by break ing the General Population/Restorative Housing cycle and limiting serious incidents, disruptive events, and life-threatening situations for the inmates and staff. By diverting these inmates into a treatment-focused, secure, and supportive environment, dedicated staff can provide opportunities for participants to manage their mental ill ness, improve pro-social metrics, and eventually thrive in general population or in the community upon release. The SDTP also carries out five specific initiatives: –– Provide SMI inmates with successful self-manage ment of daily activities within a facility. –– Increase the level of treatment services available for those confined in correctional facilities. –– Increase the level of interaction of SMI inmates with CCIT (Correctional Crisis Intervention Training) certified staff. –– Meet the robust goal of public safety while pro viding more intensive programming to restrictive housing inmates assessed as SMI. –– To meet the ACA standard of not placing an inmate with SMI in Extended Restrictive Housing. Operational management strategy Inmates housed in the Secure Diversionary Treatment Program are all managed in General Populations settings. All SDTP inmates are involved in structured therapeutic activities for a minimum of 10 hours each week. SDTP inmates are also involved in a minimum of 10 hours of unstructured out-of-cell activities each week to include recreation, showering, religious services, telephone calls, visitation, and leisure time. In addition to these mini mums, all SDTP inmates are offered a minimum of 4 hours of out-of-cell time per day. “As a human population we all have our own inter nal struggles which we deal with in a positive or a negative manner. We can’t let our struggles become our identity. SDTP is a successful tool that helps the individuals we serve to learn skills to not only better themselves but to strengthen our communities,” — Bianca Morgan, SDTP-DTP Counselor, River North Correctional Center.

Photo courtesy Allie Lovell

I n September 2016, the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) identified a critical need to develop innovative strategies in reducing the placement of inmates with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) in Restrictive Housing (now known as Restorative Housing) who display disruptive behaviors requiring additional security protocols and practices. In efforts to foster a multi-disciplinary approach, a select committee was created, comprised of staff from Operations, Mental Health, Headquarters, Regional, and Institutional Leadership. The recommendations of this committee were to create a program that utilizes four different treatment phases and multiple targeted interventions to manage this specific population, from most to least restrictive. In December 2016, VADOC created an additional mental health code designation that would identify in mates with a SMI, MH2S-substantial impairment. Upon this addition, all VADOC inmates were screened by Psychology Associates to determine the number of SMI inmates. Once all assessments were completed, VADOC determined that it housed approximately 850 SMI in mates, with approximately 100 of these inmate being placed in a Restrictive Housing environment at any given time. This group of approximately 100 inmates often exhibit behaviors that required additional management interventions outside of what was offered in any other unit VADOC had; these units would later be known as the Secure Diversionary Treatment Program (SDTP). The SDTP was implemented in January of 2018 at three prisons within the VADOC; Wallens Ridge State Prison, Marion Correctional and Treatment Center, and River North Correctional Center (119 total beds). SDTP is

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