Press Release
Graduation and Completion Ceremony Demonstrates
Proposition 36 Works
Phoenix House Honors Men and Women in Recovery for Completing Treatment
Program
LOS ANGELES, CA, September 30, 2004—For the 19 men and
women in recovery who graduated, and the additional 31 who received certificates
of completion from Phoenix House last Saturday, the event represented a personal
achievement after facing prison and a history of substance abuse. For Phoenix
Houses of California, it was not only an accomplishment but many of the graduates
represented the success of Proposition 36 which gives a choice to non-violent
adult offenders who use or possess illegal drugs to receive drug treatment in
the community rather than incarceration.
"Many here today wouldn’t have the opportunity to receive treatment
if it wasn’t for Prop 36," said Richard Mazzochi, director of adult
and aftercare services for Phoenix Houses of California. "The alternative
would have been prison, doing time then getting out with a likelihood of re-offending.
Now they have the tools to become productive, taxpaying citizens and lead crime
free lives."
A recent study released by UCLA, evaluating the success of Proposition 36 which
was passed two years ago, noted that around 70 percent of the 36,000 who agreed
to treatment showed up for the program despite often having drug-use histories
stretching back 10 years. Statewide, about half the participants entered drug
treatment for the first time. The study offers proof that treatment rather than
jail has a positive impact.
One graduate as a result of Proposition 36 said she is one of the people who
might not have sought treatment on her own. After being arrested for possession
of methamphetamine, she opted for drug treatment. "I had no idea that treatment
was out there for me," she said. "Being given the opportunity to
go into treatment has turned my life around."
More than 200 people attended the graduation and completion ceremony held at
the West Angeles Church in Los Angeles on September 25 to honor their loved ones
for completing up to six months of residential substance abuse treatment and,
for some, an additional nine months of aftercare at the Phoenix House Los Angeles
Center located in Venice, California.
The event started with a procession of graduates and welcoming remarks from
Frank Siaca, program director of Phoenix House Los Angeles Center. Diane Boudreaux,
parole agent, State of California, Department of Corrections, addressed the group
as the keynote speaker. Each participant walked across the stage and received
a certificate of graduation and/or completion in acknowledgement of their success.
Some took the opportunity to address the audience expressing their gratitude
while recounting their struggles to remain drug-free and their plans for the
future.
Phoenix House Los Angeles Center provides long-term residential and outpatient
treatment to men and women in a unique model that combines substance abuse treatment
with vocational training, employment, and family reunification. Phoenix Houses
of California is one of the largest providers of substance abuse treatment services
in Southern California, offering treatment to over 2,200 individuals each day
through 24 different programs. The not-for-profit organization has touched the
lives of adolescents, adults, and their families for 25 years, helping them overcome
the problems associated with substance abuse and empowering them with the skills
to lead healthy, productive and rewarding lives.
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Media Contact:
Linda O’Hanlon
818-386-1916
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