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Addiction, The Brain, and Evidence Based Treatment

“Dr. Chandler will discuss why punishment alone is an ineffective response to the problem of drug abuse in the criminal justice system ... Dr. Chandler will also highlight evidence-based principles of addiction treatment based on an integrated public health/public safety strategy.”

Topics discussed include:

  • drugs of abuse and crime are linked; smoking in criminal justice;
  • mental health disorders among incarcerated populations;
  • key participants in the criminal justice system and intervention opportunities;
  • what addiction is-a disease of the brain;
  • reward circuits;
  • dopamine;
  • memory circuits;
  • cocaine craving;
  • treatments for relapse prevention-medications and behavioral;
  • evidence-based principles of drug abuse treatment for criminal justice populations;
  • what recovery looks like on average;
  • assessing risks, needs, and progress;
  • criminal justice CEST (Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment);
  • and tailoring supervision to fit the needs of the individual is important.