One useful tool I found when I did a court-ordered domestic-violence group for men was to start every meeting with the standard introductions. Similar to AA's "Hi, I'm XYZ, and I'm an alcoholic." But instead asked everyone to say, "Hi, I'm XYZ, and I'm responsible for my behaviors." You'd be amazed at how many people had a hard time uttering that statement. I suspect the same tool would work in a prison population.

I'm very interested in this. I worked in residential treatment for addiction for three years. I can tell you what doesn't work (and the empirical evidence behind that assertion is from Miller and Carrol's book ). What doesn't work is heavy handed direct, confrontational, punitive styles , CBT, and scare-'em-straight programs. What does work are motivational interviewing, post-cognitive models, family systems models, narrative approaches, brief therapy models and long term involvement with the client by one therapist or support person.

Some of the AA pieces, such as forcing people to believe in "higher power", forcing people to admit powerlessness, forcing people to admit anything ...are counterproductive. People work better in strength based programs, not shame based.

Most AA members are from lower SEC, yet addicts from upper classes do recover and do well without AA. They use other methods, supports and private therapy for the most part. AA works for some, but not all. Even AA admits it only works for one in ten. These stats are from Bill White.

Now this is about addiction, not prisoners, but most addicts in my agency were former inmates and many many did "reform" if they were treated like human beings instead of lepers and losers.