Corrections Superintendent Gray calls CORE program a success

LACONIA — County Corrections Superintendent Keith Gray says his department’s drug treatment program for offenders has been a success in putting people on the road to becoming productive citizens rather than inmates.

Gray was honored Monday with Horizons Counseling Center’s yearly “Friend of Recovery Award,” at the grand opening of the organization’s new downtown office.

Horizons’ Executive Director Jacqui Abikoff described Gray as “a champion for recovery and treatment services.”

A little over a year ago, Gray presided over the opening of the Community Corrections Center, an 18,410-square-foot facility designed to provide a comprehensive treatment, counseling and education program to people at high risk for substance misuse and likelihood to re-offend.

Half of the center’s 72 beds are used by people directed by a court to participate in the Corrections Opportunity for Recovery and Education program, or CORE, which treats people for substance abuse problems that contribute to criminal behavior.

“Many of these people are on their last piece of hope,” said Gray, who has been in corrections for 19 years after a 20-year career in the U.S. Navy.

“They come to the Corrections Department because they've hit rock bottom. Now they’re in jail and it’s our hope and goal to bring them back, help them to recover and become healthy and live productive lives.”

He estimated that 85 percent of all criminal activity can be attributed to substance abuse.

“Intoxication leads to assaults, fights, arguments and domestics,” Gray said. “Drug use leads to criminal activity like burglaries, robberies and theft to support a habit.”

Gray said the CORE program is modeled after a successful program in Sullivan County that has been shown to reduce the recidivism rate from 60 percent to 18 percent.

Recidivism figures for the Belknap County program are not yet available, Gray said. The program has operated out of the Corrections Center for a year, and was a pilot program for a time before that.

It involves an intensive, 3-month education and treatment program in the center, followed by work release, an electronic monitoring phase and 12 months of aftercare. From beginning to end, the program lasts 20 months.

Gray said the program saves the county money.

It’s expensive to incarcerate people. They require medical services, clothing and food.

“Our goal is to put people through the program and help them stay out of jail, find a job, find a place to live where they’re healthy, not using medical services as frequently, paying taxes, supporting a family, raising children in a better household,” he said.

“We want to improve the quality of life for these folks and their families and have them become productive citizens. Some of the burden for services will go away and that will save money.”