Traditionally, governments operated halfway houses, especially for convicts with a history of drug abuse. They were sent to the house usually in the last year of their prison sentence. Today, the houses are different. The traditional ones still exist, yet you can find third parties or treatment facilities running such places. They are also called sober living houses.
They can be of different types. You can find inexpensive ones and luxury ones or somewhere in between. The luxury houses are laced with gyms, swimming pools, sports and recreation centers, and other such amenities. Plush rooms for each inmate are available in these houses.
The most inexpensive ones might look like a dormitory. A line of beds in a huge hall with each inmate getting one bed. In other houses, two inmates may share one room.
What house is better?
According to rehabilitation experts, it does not matter whether you stay at a luxury house or the least inexpensive one. What matters is what you want.
Do you seriously want to change your life for the better?
If yes, then nothing can stop you.
And if not, then not even the best halfway house in Illinois or elsewhere can help you.
Yet, as it is said that the environment influences an individual, you must choose a facility that is worth it. Certain cheap houses may not be worth spending your time in.
How to choose a good house?
- Check their credentials and ensure they are authorized.
- Visit the house in person.
- Check the cleanliness and overall look of the place.
- Every space exudes a set of vibes. Feel them. If you sense something wrong, then there probably is. Avoid such houses where you feel uneasy.
- Observe the staff and the inmates. If you find inmates in a “drunken” or “drugged” state, drop the house like a hot potato.
- Know the treatments available at the house. Are there educational classes or family sessions? Do they provide medical care for insomnia or nutritional deficiencies? Choose a house based on your physical and mental needs.
- If you want that you or your loved one must do a job while staying in the house, ensure you choose a house that allows inmates to be employed during their stay period.
Rules and routine
Although the basic rules of a halfway house are the same, each house has its own ambiance and set of policies. They also have their own routine.
For example, one house may have meditation sessions for inmates in the morning, while some others may give them music and art therapy sessions. Others may mandate every inmate to have a job. Some may let inmates meet their families once a week.
The main purpose of a house is to allow you to pick the pieces of your life together to build a new one. You need time and the right environment for this. The house gives you that. The strict rules, especially the 24×7 sobriety rule, work as an anchor so that you are not carried away by your temptations. You must stay focused on sobriety to build a new life for yourselves.
It is these rules of a halfway house that make you the new person you wish to be. If you are too stubborn or reluctant to follow the rules, you might say just the same – breaking the rules and having a tendency to do drugs or alcohol.
Rules instill discipline in you. They strengthen your willpower. You direly need both to become lifetime sober.
So, guys and gals, here’s your chance to start life afresh with dignity. Thank you for visiting.