RDAP Entrance Exam

There is a program offered at the Prison Camp called RDAP. It is a beneficial program for alcoholics and drug users alike and is designed to help people face the reality of substance abuse. The psychologist on staff conducts an interview to screen potential candidates for the program. I was prepared for the interview, but was surprised by the process.

It is a very popular program in prison because the inmate is offered a reduced sentence upon completion, and more time in a halfway house. Many inmates take advantage of the opportunity, and the doctor is burdened with screening every applicant before being allowed to participate in the program. The competition is genuine because of the opportunity for early release from prison.

I’ve been attending AA meetings at the camp, and have developed some genuine friendships with other AA members. We meet four times per week and dive deep into our alcohol and drug abuse. It is similar to an alcoholics anonymous boot camp of intense accountability. I’ve hashed out issues that I’ve buried for decades, and it prepared me well to discuss honestly my addiction with the doctor at my RDAP interview.

I consider myself a very level-headed, well-reasoned, and responsible person. The way I understand my alcohol use is abnormal from every other viewpoint except my own. My use, or rather abuse, of alcohol is ridiculous, but seemed perfectly acceptable to me. I drank myself into liver cirrhosis, quit long enough for the condition to clear, and celebrated by drinking again when the medical doctor gave me a clean bill of health. Who does that? A sane man would quit alcohol and thank his lucky stars for the clean bill of health, but not me ... I kept drinking anyway and even heavier. It sounds crazy upon reflection, but at the time felt completely normal.

The doctor at my RDAP interview agreed with my self-assessment, and I have made significant progress towards beating alcohol in my life. I understand it’s a lifelong battle that will never end, and I am told RDAP can provide the tools to build self-control and personal accountability in this area of my life. I am at the beginning of treatment and will rely on the advice I received from the psychologist that the RDAP program can equip me for success in overcoming my alcohol addiction. As I progress, I will update this post.