The Monroe County Detention Facility (Jail) is proud to announce the successful graduation of the first five participants from its pilot Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), held on Wednesday, November 12th.  This marks an important milestone in the facility’s ongoing efforts to provide meaningful, evidence-based rehabilitation opportunities for individuals seeking long-term recovery and personal transformation.

About RDAP

RDAP is a voluntary, comprehensive substance-abuse treatment program originally developed for use in federal prisons.  RDAP utilizes group therapy, individual therapy, peer interaction, and personalized workbook assignments to address the psychological, behavioral, and social elements of addiction.  The goal is to help participants understand the root causes of their substance use while preparing them for reintegration into society and have a healthier, more productive lifestyle.

A hallmark of RDAP is its residential component.  Participants are housed together to create a supportive, structured environment where they can learn, practice accountability, and build positive habits.  The program’s peer-support model resembles a modified therapeutic community, grounding its curriculum in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  Through peer engagement, participants learn to challenge criminal thinking, practice empathy, communicate effectively, and develop pro-social behaviors essential for long-term success.

 

A Modified Program for Monroe County

At the Monroe County Detention Facility, a modified but significantly expanded version of the RDAP program has been introduced.  Participants are selected through a multi-step process that includes:

• Completion of prerequisite tablet-based assignments
• A formal application
• An interview with the Inmate Education Team
• Mental health evaluations
• Administrative approval

Only individuals  with nonviolent charges are eligible.

While the federal RDAP standard requires 500 hours of coursework, Monroe County’s program exceeds that requirement substantially, totaling 732 hours over six months. These hours are broken down as follows:

• Class Instruction: 6 hours/week  approximately 144 total hours
• Group Therapy: 3 hours/week approximately 72 total hours
• Individual Therapy: Biweekly approximately 12 total hours
• Peer Component: approximately 168 hours
• Workbook  and Assignments: approximately 336 hours

Participants must attend individual and group therapy sessions provided by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Mental Health Provider, complete daily peer assignments, and fulfill individualized homework requirements.

Benefits of participation include reduced recidivism, increased community safety, and for the inmate-improved life skills and an opportunity for lasting personal change.  There is also a potential for sentence reduction for eligible non-violent offenders.

 

Program Philosophy and Participants Reflections

As part of the program, the inaugural class collaboratively developed an RDAP group philosophy, presented as follows:

“As a community, we are dedicated to making positive changes towards our recovery together.  We do not seek blaming.  We speak of our past and help each other find solutions together as one.  We are determined to practice open-mindedness when we look at our present.  We strive for success and welcome new challenges in the future.  We are committed to being supportive when learning about each other and grateful to our peers for helping achieve and maintain sobriety.  We are now caring for others as well as ourselves as we walk through our journey of change”

Each graduate also shared personal reflections on their experience:

Lesa McCulloch

• “It was a time for me to heal myself.”

• “Success is learning from your failure.”

Jessica Upton

• “My mistakes don’t define who I am.”

• “I had to tear myself down and build myself up.”

• “Thanks to the Sheriff’s Office and Karl for the program.  They are definitely life-changing and have set us up for a brighter future.”

Amanda Witt

• “I believe God has great things in store for me and others.”

• “Thankful for the opportunity to grow and be a better person.”

• “I’m more positive than I’ve ever been.”

Crystal Huffman

• “Who I was is not who I am.”

• Grateful for this moment. Thank you to the ones who made this project possible so that I can become a better me.”

Crystal Roach

• “Thankful for being able to take the class.  It’s helped me change a lot about myself, like my thinking and communicating.”

• “Being in RDAP has let me see things in a different way. I’m more positive.”

A Strong Start to a Stronger Future

A key component of RDAP involves role-playing, journaling, public speaking, and daily peer engagement. Darby, a member of the Inmate Education Team, applauded the group’s commitment, noting that the daily two-hour classes were highly interactive and that not a single participant missed a day.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Facility congratulate the first graduating class of RDAP and look forward to continuing the program to serve future participants on their journey toward recovery and positive change.

This project is funded under a grant contract with the State of Tennessee.

 

A Message From the Sheriff

“I want to personally congratulate each of our RDAP graduates for their dedication, honesty, and commitment to rebuilding their lives.  Completing this program takes courage and a willingness to change, and these individuals have shown both.  We are proud of their efforts and grateful to our staff who made this program possible.  I look forward to seeing these graduates continue on a positive path as they reenter our community.”