The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

Not returning to where the recovering addict came from might be the single most important reason for the private program's success. Oxford Houses boast a 75 percent recovery rate against relapse. The first Oxford House opened 30 years ago in Ohio; now there are 1,000 homes nationally.

What residents come home to is a nice house in a stable neighborhood.
Applicants are screened carefully. If they have a record it cannot include a crime of violence.

Because residents adhere to a strict conduct code rarely are there
objections from neighbors although there have been a couple over the past four years. Larry B., landlord to all but two of the 10 Oxford Houses, is a successful businessman. He once had an alcohol problem. While he has been sober for years he empathizes with residents trying to make a new start in a state with limited opportunities.

Each Oxford House houses six to 10 people with two people per bedroom. Residents cannot drink or use drugs. They must hold a job, keep their curfews, attend regular Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings, pass drug tests and abide by any rules imposed by the drug court if they are a participant. They must pay their rent, maintain the homes and abide by all house rules or they're voted out.

Houses are run democratically and are self-supporting with elected officers who oversee the home and manage expenses. To apply for admission each resident go through an intensive treatment program and/or must prove he or she has maintained sobriety for at least 30 days. Residents are interviewed by house members and must receive an 80 percent yes vote for admission.

Residents pay $300-$400 per month, which covers everything except their food. Each house starts with a $4,000 loan from the state, which is repaid with interest. So far, houses here have met that obligation, Larry said.

Compare that cost to housing one prison inmate at $20,000 per year.

Each resident has a different story of what led him or her to the Oxford House. Residents represent every demographic. But they have one thing in common: they all had hit bottom before stepping through the door. And, all agree that the living arrangement has been their salvation, allowing them to live normally and independently but with structure and accountability.

At a south Tulsa Oxford House Wednesday, several men arrived home near dinner time. Some had taken the bus from their jobs, others had rides or had driven themselves home. One man was in a suit and tie, some in jeans. Their spacious home was immaculate with a manicured lawn and a well-fed yellow tabby cat in the yard. The cat is a metaphor of sorts for the "family" living inside. He came as a stray but stayed because he liked the
environment.

Residents proudly offer a tour of their well-furnished home, which has a computer and television with cable, washing machine and dryer. Each man has his own full-size refrigerator, with several of them lining one garage wall.

Residents are permitted to come and go as they wish as long as they meet the house curfew. They often spend free time together, going to movies or dances.They're free to have visitors. Every other weekend one resident's children visit, bunking in the den. As long as residents abide by rules they can live in the house indefinitely. Some arrived in the month, a few have lived several years at an Oxford House.

Jeff, 54, said that Oxford House has helped him rebuild a life shattered by the death of his wife and the loss of a successful business that once took in up to $15 million. "At the end I couldn't write a check for 25 cents," he said, recounting a long fall that included life on the streets. "I hadn't been out on the streets since the Sixties and guess what, it's not the Sixties anymore." After he disappeared, relatives filed a missing persons report. Tulsa police found him and his wife, who also had alcohol problems,
living behind a commercial air-conditioning unit near 11th Street and U.S. 169.

Jeff was in trouble but not with the law. "I was ashamed. I couldn't feed or clothe myself. My family looked after me for a year." When they got on their feet, Jeff and his wife moved back to Missouri. "My wife died suddenly. Alcoholism is the loneliest disease in the world. Here I was in an empty apartment, surrounded by memories. I had to have people."

Jeff completed a treatment program to break an alcohol habit that started at 17. He attends daily AA meetings and works with other recovering alcoholics.

Julie, 33, has lived in an Oxford House for seven months. Her problems began a decade ago when she became addicted to painkillers after an accident. The addiction took over her life. She forged prescriptions and checks and received probation several times before ending up in prison for three years. Ill-equipped to handle life when she came out she gave over custody of her two young children to a relative. With her family's help she went through
intensive treatment, something she did not get in prison. When she entered drug court, Oxford House was recommended.

"I've relapsed before but this is the best I've ever done. Oxford House helps you live again, teaches you basic things like keeping your room clean, doing chores, paying bills, getting along with other people. Because we're recovering addicts we all know the warning signs of relapse. We're not easily fooled."

Some residents have slipped. When they did there was no second chance. But most residents know what a good thing they have in a state with skyrocketing substance abuse problems and too few opportunities for recovering addicts and alcoholics -- especially for those with criminal records largely as a result of their addictions.

"I work 35 hours a week. I get up at 5:30 a.m. every day and walk four miles," Julie said. "Oxford House lets you live again. I needed the structure. I see my kids. Someday I'll go back to college. When I see the sunrise I'm so grateful to be free and enjoy the simple things. I'm just really happy."

julie.delcour@tulsaworld.com