In October of 2006, Rick Pendery opened the doors to a prison-based drug and criminal rehab facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This program is the culmination of thirteen years handling substance abusers, six of those years in Mexico piloting this program with heroin and meth addicted inmates there. The 600-bed facility, the Second Chance Center, (www.secondchancecenters.com) uses programming based on research done by L. Ron Hubbard in the field of drug rehabilitation and criminal behavior.
“We have brought in protocol based on the works of Mr. Hubbard because I have seen the effectiveness of these programs. such as the long-term sauna detox protocol and the drills he developed to help improve communication skills. The education tools really help improve people’s ability to learn and apply what they study. All this helps them succeed in life.” Rick Pendery explains, “We are a totally secular program and not a part of the Church of Scientology or any other church. We do offer Catholic and Protestant services to our students on Sunday. The program itself uses no drugs or medications, and emphasizes healthy foods and healthy living.”
“The reason that I decided to start the Second Chance Program is because most inmates in correctional facilities usually end up back in prison.”, said Pendery. “Prisons actually do not rehabilitate criminals. Because a large portion of inmates have drug problems, such a program is effective for a them. Many inmates have low self esteem, no social skills nor the education to reenter society as productive members. With the right guidance and education, they can become productive members of society and never return to a life of crime or drugs.”
New Hampshire State Representative, Phyllis Katsakiores, visited the site in November. She said, “I think the sauna is a must. The toxins left from the drugs and alcohol is stored in the fat contents of the body. If you don’t get that out 10, 15 years later somebody could be on the golf course playing golf and they would start sweating profusely and then all of a sudden they’d have this unbelievable desire to go back on drugs.”
Independent university studies done on Pendery’s pilot programs have shown over a five-year period that criminal recidivism dropped to less than 10% for those who participated prior to release in as much as one third of the Second Chance Program prior to their release.
Katsakiores also visited Pendery’s project site in Mexico a few years ago. After arriving at Second Chance in Albuquerque, she said, “You know, it’s very emotional. When I drove up on the bus today and I saw that sign on the outside wall that said Second Chance, I could’ve cried. I thought “At last!” you know. It has arrived. Once the word gets out it’s going to spread across the United States.”
