The Research Committee met on 1/15, tasked at reviewing the data from the 11 research visits that have occurred. The committee came to a consensus to create a problem statement that will focus on men and women in jail that need substance abuse treatment and that will recognize that the majority of those women are survivors of physical abuse (sexual, domestic, etc.). Our next set of visits will focus on when and where is best to intervene with substance abuse treatment. Below are some of the key data and trends we’ve found thus far:

• About 42% of women (1,153) in 2014 were at Region 10 for substance abuse problems
• About 70% of inmates (3,150) at Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail need substance abuse treatment
  • Approximately 315 are female, and 2,835 are male
• 1 of 5 arrests in Albemarle since 2009 have been related to substance abuse (total= 20,687)
  • 942 arrested per year on average involving substance abuse
    • 740 males arrested per year on average, 202 females arrested per year on average
  • On average 1,104 people are arrested in Charlottesville involving a substance
    • 164 females arrested per year on average
    • 940 males arrested per year on average

We have heard many of the same observations over the course of our research visits:

1. More often than not, sexual assault/domestic violence and substance abuse go hand in hand (Charlottesville and Albemarle Police Department, Region 10, SARA, Regional Jail)
   • “It is important to explore interventions that promote positive recovery from substance use and sexual assault” (Hunter, B.A., Robinson, E., & Jason, L.A. (2012), SARA)
   • Anecdotally, 90% of women arrested for substance abuse have been sexually assaulted in the past (Charlottesville Police)
   • Anecdotally, 99% of women in jail that are in drug treatment come from a history of trauma and abuse (Region 10, Regional Jail)
2. Some treatment exists but those who abuse substances often don’t take advantage of treatment (Region 10, Regional Jail, Probation and Parole)
   • About 315 women per year could use substance abuse treatment at the Regional Jail. They offer 8 spots for treatment but is never at capacity (Regional Jail)
3. There is no medical detox or in-patient substance abuse treatment specifically for women in our community, and even those for men do not cover the need (Region 10, Albemarle Police, Women’s Initiative, Probation and Parole, Regional Jail)
   • Closest in patient programs for women are Culpeper, Roanoke and Richmond (Region 10)
   • Closest medical detox facilities for women are Lynchburg, Richmond and Culpeper (Region 10)

This week our Research Committee met with the Thomas Jefferson Area Crisis Intervention Team and District #9 Probation and Parole. We learned:

• Approximately 13-15% of probationers and parolees need substance abuse treatment
• Closest transitional housing for women suffering substance abuse is at least 2 hours away
• Approximately 1 out of 5 inmates suffer from serious mental illness

We’re meeting with the following next week:

• Charlottesville Police Department, 01/13/2015, 8:45am prep at TBD
• Shelter for Help in Emergency, 01/16/2015. 12:45pm prep at St. Mark Lutheran Church

Please contact the IMPACT office if you would like to participate.

The next Research Committee Meeting is 1/15/2015, 6:30pm-8:00pm at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 100 Alderman Road. We will be reviewing key data and the strategy committee will recommend possible problem statements and next steps.

This week IMPACT leaders met with the Albemarle Police Department, Addiction Recovery Systems (ARS) Clinic and Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Jail.

We learned some the startling facts:

• There have been nearly 3,000 reported domestic violence incidents (not arrests) in the last 5 years in Albemarle County
• At least 50% of all crimes in Albemarle County involves substance abuse as a contributing factor
• 90% of women treated at the ARS Clinic have experienced some sort of trauma
• 70% of all female inmates could use substance abuse treatment at the Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Jail; there are only 8 spots available at a time and they have trouble filling the minimum of spots because it is voluntary
• 99.9% of women in the Regional Jail’s therapeutic community program have suffered sexual trauma at some point in their lives

Please take this information and share it with your congregations, friends and family. We cannot allow this gap to continue to widen! IMPACT Research Committee will continue to deliver updates as they unfold!