How To Escape Your Prison is the primary MRT workbook used for adult offenders and adults in substance abuse treatment. The 152-page workbook is also used in programs for multiple DUI offenders. The workbook addresses all of the issues related to criminal thinking and criminal needs.

Target Population & Use

The book is used with all types of offenders including those in jails, prisons, community corrections, TCs, halfway houses, diversion, parole and probation, and drug/mental health/DUI courts. Numerous substance abuse programs, both residential and outpatient, utilize the workbook. MRT is a SAMHSA NREPP program used for substance abuse and general treatment of criminal populations.

Implementation Settings

MRT is used in all correctional settings, probation and parole, community corrections, diversion programs, in private treatment settings, in welfare-to-work programs, educational settings, and elsewhere.

How It Is Conducted

The program has 16 Steps with 12 of these typically completed in 30 group sessions held in accordance with the implementation site’s own needs and characteristics. For example, therapeutic communities often hold several MRT groups each week while drug courts and probation sites typically hold a weekly group. Clients complete homework for each group prior to coming to a session. In the group each client presents his or her homework and the facilitator passes the client to the next step or has the client redo the homework based on objective criteria. All MRT groups are open-ended meaning that new clients can enter an ongoing group at any time. Each group session will usually have new clients as well as some finishing the program. All MRT facilitators must complete basic MRT training.

Supportive Materials

The MRT Facilitator’s Handbook gives basic instructions as well as the objective criteria that should be used for each Step. A Spanish version of the workbook is available. An audio CD set of the book is available for clients who do not read. There are both English and Spanish versions of the “book on audio” CD available. Several other treatment tools are recommended. These include tapes or CDs that clients can utilize: the Five-Minute Stress Manager; Imaginary Future . Those who attend MRT training receive a copy of the MRT Facilitator’s Handbook, the Five-Minute Stress Manager, and Imaginary Future.

A 70-page workbook used with offenders and resistant clients. The book focuses especially on typical criminal thinking issues such as: Everyone lies, cheats, and steals; No one can be trusted; The rules don’t apply to them; That all relationships are manipulative.

Target Population & Use

Thinking For Good is used with resistant offender populations in groups. The program prepares the most resistant clients for more treatment. Typically this program is used prior to participating in a more long-term program such as MRT.

Implementation Settings

The program is predominantly used in corrections, community corrections, and in probation and parole settings.

How It Is Conducted

Participants complete each of the program’s 10 modules before group sessions and share their homework in the group. The program is designed for 10 group sessions. Groups are open-ended in that new clients can enter an ongoing group at any time.

Supportive Materials

A Spanish version of the workbook is available. A Facilitator’s Guide is also available.