The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Bhutan Narcotics Control Agency in collaboration with the Royal Bhutan Police inaugurated the Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation program for the prison inmates convicted for drug related offences on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at Thimphu District Jail.
The inauguration was marked by lhab sang tursoel ceremony of the session room built in the premises of the prison. The room was formally opened by The Chief of Police and Director General of the Bhutan Narcotics Control Agency. The opening ceremony was also attended by officials of RBP and BNCA, inmates convicted for drug offences from district prison and Chamgang Central Jail and the parents /guardians of the inmates.
The treatment and rehabilitation programme will be based on modified Matrix Intensive Outpatient Programme inside the prison setting. The Matrix IOP is an evidence based treatment for people who are dependent on drugs and alcohol. In this program, clients will receive information and assistance in structuring a substance-free lifestyle and support to achieve and maintain abstinence from drugs and alcohol. It is a 16 weeks program with several sessions on early recovery skills and relapse prevention.
In a week, two sessions on Early Recovery Skills & Relapse Prevention and another 1 hours session for 12th Steps tradition meeting such as Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous will be conducted. For the family members of the inmates, BNCA will conduct family education group meetings at the BNCA Resource centre once a week.
The programme is of its first kind aimed to help (i) empower the inmates and their family members with necessary skills and knowledge to enable themselves to abstain from drugs and alcohol in their post prison life; (ii) reform and reintegrate the inmates into the mainstream society; and (ii) keep track of the inmates after their release from prison by engaging them in after care services so that they do not return back to the prison.
Around 30 inmates will be attending the programme.
