News / Education
Narconon Drug Rehab Beginnings
Early Start Dealt With Jail Inmates
A late night encounter with a homeless girl in a Waffle house, who was also a drug addict, began a series of events that eventually led to the founding of Narconon of Georgia Drug Rehab by Mary Rieser.
After getting trained to deliver the Narconon Drug Rehab program and becoming a Certified Addiction Counselor, Ms. Rieser met with a local Judge and Christian Ministers to address the lack of drug rehab available for offenders incarcerated for misdemeanor drug violations.
"Visiting the inside of a local jail really opened my eyes. I saw scores of men, cramped in small quarters and many of them straining to see one small television at the other end of the room. Most of these guys did not look like bad guys. I realized that drug addiction could happen in all walks of life. I felt bad for the mothers who worked hard to raise their sons for something else in life, not this. I wanted something better for these guys."
Mary worked with local businesses and raised enough money to cover the cost to get twenty arrestees through the program. She worked with the Judge and probation officers to find 20 men from the jail who really wanted help with their drug problem. The first Narconon of Georgia program was delivered on a farm supported by several Christian churches. The men went to church in the morning, worked in the fields a while and did the Narconon Drug Rehab program for the remainder of the day.
The pilot was a success, with most of the men becoming gainfully employed immediately after graduation and remaining clean. Narconon of Georgia continues to work with probation officers and Judges, promoting the concept that there is a workable alternative to incarceration for those offenders who are drug addicts.
What are Ms. Rieser's goal for the future? "I want to make a difference in the state of Georgia . With effective drug prevention we can reduce the number of kids starting drugs. Additionally, by educating our legislatures on the financial and social benefits of offering effective drug rehab for offenders who are addicts, we can help move things in a positive direction. People don't have to suffer from addiction. It is a man made disease and man can fix it."
For more information on drug addiction rehabilitation or drug education, call Narconon of Georgia at 1-877-413-3073.
Copyright © 2008. Narconon of Georgia Inc.(www.drugsno.com) Call 1-877-413-3073. All rights reserved. Narconon and the Narconon Logo are trademarks and service marks owned by the Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission.
