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accountability where the community model is the agent of change. They offer a supportive treatment atmosphere that includes assessments, treatment planning, program ming, peer recovery support groups and aftercare. The program also offers reentry services and transitional planning for a continuum of care. The Nottoway Work Center continues to meet the minimum security, SUD treatment needs in the VA DOC. The 50-bed program is a modified cognitive therapeutic community program focusing on substance use disorder services, along with parenting and reen try preparation. The inmates engaging in this unique program are housed at a work center location and are employed across various agricultural and vocational disciplines within the VADOC. Furthermore, Medication Assisted Treatment is available in partnership with Health Services. All SUD residential programs in the VADOC are augmented with discharge summaries and individualized continuing care plans to support effective continuations of care between correctional centers and with the community post re lease. Naloxone also is available throughout the Virginia DOC for inmates at the time of release. In FY2024, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health, the VADOC distributed 1117 two dose Naloxone kits to releasing inmates. For releasing inmates, a continuum of care is provid ed as they prepare to transition from incarceration back to the community. Referrals for post release services are coordinated by MAT Social Workers and Recovery Navi gators. For those inmates with court ordered probation and parole supervision, the VADOC works closely with local community service boards and treatment providers to ensure that SUD services are available for those who need it. This includes PRS services within many pro bation and parole offices, and robust engagement with treatment facilities in each locality. From the first day of incarceration to the end of a probationer’s supervision obligation, the VADOC strives to provide comprehensive support for addiction treatment and recovery. Looking forward: A future focused on recovery, support and saving lives VADOC’s programs represent a commitment to healing and transformation. By blending evidence-based

treatments, peer support and targeted levels of care, VADOC is creating a culture of recovery within its cor rectional centers. This comprehensive approach not only addresses the immediate dangers of addiction but also builds a foundation for long-term success and reintegra tion into society. These efforts are a reminder that even within the walls of a correctional facility, the potential for change is profound. Through compassion, shared lived experience and innovative programming, VADOC is not just treating addiction — it is saving lives and giving individuals the tools they need to reclaim their futures. VADOC’s commitment to treating addiction as a disease — not a character flaw — highlights a compassionate approach that prioritizes health and rehabilitation over stigma and judgment. These pro grams are not merely a response to a public health crisis; they represent a fundamental shift in how we view and treat those who struggle with SUD. VADOC is building pathways to recovery that recognize the humanity and potential in every individual. In this way, Virginia’s prisons are becoming places of healing, offering a second chance to those ready to take it and underscoring the belief that recovery is possible for everyone. CT ENDNOTES National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Criminal Justice Drug Facts . National Institutes of Health. Retrieved September 27, 2024, from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/criminal-justice NIDA. 2011, July 1. Drug Misuse and Addiction. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/ drug-misuse-addiction on 2024, September 29 Recovery and recovery support . SAMHSA. (n.d.). https://www.samhsa.gov/ find-help/recovery#:~:text=SAMHSA’s%20working%20definition%20 of%20recovery,to%20reach%20their%20full%20potential Mowen TJ, Boman John H. The Duality of the Peer Effect: The Interplay Between Peer Support and Peer Criminality on Offending and Substance Use During Reentry. Crime Delinq . 2018;64(8):1094–1116.

Allen Stewart M.A., M.S.W. is a Statewide Substance Use Disorder Manager at the Virginia Department of Corrections.

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