Press Release
Phoenix House Graduation Celebrates New Start for Many Veterans of Criminal Justice System
LOS ANGELES, CA September 20, 2005 – On Saturday, September 17, thirty individuals celebrated their graduated from Phoenix House’s Venice facility at the West Angeles Church, marking not only their completion of substance abuse treatment but their ability to stay sober, employed and free from crime for a full year after completing the program. More than half of the graduates began their treatment while incarcerated in California prisons. They then continued treatment at Venice after their release.
“This graduation ceremony demonstrates very clearly that even hardened veterans of the criminal justice system can turn their lives around,” said Winnie Wechsler, Executive Director of Phoenix House in California. “Many prisoners have been in need of substance abuse treatment for as long as they have been involved in crime. Any effort to rehabilitate these individuals must seek to treat the addiction that is the root cause of their past criminal behavior.”
One of Saturday’s graduates, Leo, demonstrates the potential of long-term substance abuse treatment to rehabilitate prisoners fighting against drug addiction. Leo, 47, has battled drug addiction for more than 30 years and has been in and out of the prison system for nearly 20 years. Although Leo began his course of treatment in prison, he arrived at Phoenix House with the “convict mentality,” participating in treatment mainly as a passive observer.
Gradually, Leo began to take a more active role in the process and began to make rapid improvements. He is currently employed at a lumber yard and has become a leader at Phoenix House, offering guidance to other individuals with similar backgrounds.
The guest speaker at the graduation ceremony was Dr. Lewis Yablonsky. Dr. Yablonsky is a professor of Sociology and Criminolgy at California State University-Northridge. He is a sought after expert witness, the author of numerous books about criminal justice, and an expert on both gangs and the therapeutic communities, the model of drug treatment used at Phoenix House.
Phoenix House is the nation’s largest nonprofit provider of drug and alcohol abuse treatment and prevention services, operating more than 100 programs in nine states. In California, Phoenix House operates 18 programs, including in-prison programs and residential and outpatient programs for both adults and adolescents. Since 1967, Phoenix House has treated more than 100,000 substance abusers – currently caring for a population of more than 6,000 at residential centers for adults, residential Phoenix Academies combining long-term treatment and schooling for teens, outpatient, after school, and day programs.
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Media Contact:
Justin Bernbach
(646) 505-2094
jbernbach@phoenixhouse.org
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