MRT for

FEMALE OFFENDERS

 

MRT has been used extensively with female offenders since 1987. MRT is a SAMHSA NREPP registered program. Prison and jail-based drug treatment programs, Therapeutic Communities (TC), and general female inmate populations have been treated with MRT as well as females in community corrections, parole & probation, and drug courts. Clients in MRT programs have an MRT workbook — How To Escape Your Prison or a variation of the workbook. Basic MRT has 12 steps, with a general written discussion of each step in the workbook, followed by the exercises and homework requirements. Each counselor or officer operates one or more MRT groups as part of their work assignment. Every MRT program that has collected outcome data on female offenders treated with MRT has reported significantly lower recidivism and highly beneficial personality changes. Outcomes for males for males and females are quite similar. A Spanish version of the workbook is available along with both Spanish and English versions of the book on audio CDs for participants with poor reading skills.

 

All MRT groups are open-ended. This means that new clients can enter a group at any time and be incorporated into the program.

 

Training Required:

 

Basic MRT training is required for all MRT facilitators. Call CCI (901) 360-1564 for information.

 

Length of Program/Completion Rate:

 

In prison settings the average (mean) number of group meetings is variable depending on location and the type of program. In general, most female prison and jail-based offenders complete all MRT steps in 20-32 group sessions. Drug court and probation participants tend to complete the program faster. Program completion rates have varied between 50%-99% in females. The mean completion rate for programs is about 75%.

 

Other Program Components Typically Used:

 

Prison-based drug treatment programs and TCs that use MRT usually conduct several other cognitive-behavioral programs with their participants. Some of the programs used with female offenders focus on specialized needs. Additional cognitive-behavioral programs utilized with female offenders include the following:

 

Trauma Recovery

Relapse Prevention

Character Development

Anger Management

Family Support

Job Readiness

Codependency

Responsible Living

Parenting