Hall County C.I. receives $50K grant to combat substance abuse

GAINESVILLE - The Hall County Correctional Institution has received a grant that will be use to implement a substance abuse program at the prison.<br /> <br /> The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council totals $50,000. County officials say the money will be used to implement a Residential Substance Abuse Program (RSAT) to provide participants in the Re-entry Accountability Court Transition (REACT) Program with intensive substance abuse treatment. They say the RSAT program has been used effectively in the state prison system for several years. The Hall County C.I. will be the first county correctional institution in the state to offer the program.<br /> <br /> "We have found that, without exception, all of the participants in the REACT program have serious addiction issues which must be addressed if they are to be successfully returned to our community," said Hall County Warden Walt Davis. "This intensive program is a significant step in that direction."<br /> <br /> The REACT program focuses on state inmates returning to Hall and Dawson counties. Programming consists of substance abuse treatment, as well as educational and vocational training. Participants also receive on-the-job experience while working with local businesses once they have progressed to the work release portion of the program. The purpose of the program is to help inmates find gainful employment in an effort to reduce recidivism rates.

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