Norton Announces the Secure Residential Treatment Program for Non-Violent Offenders Will Continue

Norton Announces the Secure Residential Treatment Program for Non-Violent Offenders Will Continue

August 11, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC -- Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that a program for D.C. residents who are accused of minor violations or drug infractions while on parole or supervised release, the Secure Residential Treatment Program (SRTP), will continue beyond its one-year pilot phase. SRTP offers drug-treatment to non-violent offenders rather than sending them back to prison for minor violations. "These parolees and supervised releasees could have jobs and otherwise be fully in compliance with their parole or supervised release conditions," Norton said. "The SRTP option allows offenders to receive the substance abuse treatment that they need and, upon successful completion of the program, reinstates their parole or supervised release without sending them back to prison for minor release violations." The SRTP was in jeopardy, even though the federal government was prepared to cover two-thirds of its cost, because of the difficulty the District was having funding its portion. Norton asked that funding for the program continue at least at the 32-bed pilot level. In light of its success, she said that she regrets that the program could not be expanded to the 96-bed level that she had sought. "Many offenders on parole or supervised release have jobs or families, or have otherwise reconstructed their lives, but they have not had the opportunity for drug treatment," Norton said. "It neither does them nor society any good to disregard the good progress that has been made by re-incarcerating persons for whom drug treatment is the key to continued rehabilitation."