Director of Delaware Juvenile Corrections Brings Narconon to Youth Institution
State of Delaware
Division of Juvenile Corrections
Wilmington Delaware
Narconon
Delaware Correctional Center
Smyrna, Delaware
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
August 19, 1974
In 1972, while I was serving as Assistant Superintendent at the Delaware Correctional Center, the institution was approached by staff of the Division of Drug Abuse relative to a program which I had never heard of before. That program was NARCONON. The ingredients of the program were discussed as much as possible, and, without any attempt to go beyond that, the institution decided to implement a pilot program. A member of the NARCONON staff from California, a Mr. Barry Jaye, came east and he got the program off the ground. While I would never make any kind of statement concerning whether or not the program is a bonafide success in terms of rehabilitation because of the lack of real research, I can say that it is my impression that the program has as much merit in terms of helping people as any other that I have been associated with. There are a number of inmates whom I have known for a long time who became deeply involved in the NARCONON program and who, without doubt, exhibited a significant degree of change. The NARCONON group has made some reports from time to time about their graduates, and, notwithstanding the fact that it is self-supporting, I would tend to believe that a good number of them, most of whom were drug addicts, are apparently staying straight in the community.
One of the things that impressed me as much as anything is that like “AA”, NARCONON is largely a self-help group, and I believe that real help probably begins with this kind of approach. I would also indicate that as the new Director of the Division of Juvenile Corrections, I have authorized the program to become part of one of our youth institutions.
Sincerely,
(signed)
Anthony W. Salerno
Acting Director
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