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Harris County Jail New Choices

Houston, Texas | See other Texas rehab reviews

1200 Baker St.
Houston, Texas 77002


New Choices is a Substance Abuse Program located within the Harris County Jail.

New Choices is partially funded by the Office of the Governor. The program currently accepts both men and women, but your participation in the program usually has to be approved by the judge.

The program lasts a minimum of 180 days (and a maximum of 365 days). This means that if you are doing a much shorter sentence you probably want to look for a different program which doesn't require you stay in jail extra time (of course, if your addiction is severe maybe this is an attractive option to you).

Interviews from Sweetness, Mia, Tiffanie, Tim, Lindsay, Kim, Jebroni, Teresa, Ms Dar, Suburban Mom, Row, MALE26, KO, Shockster, Shockley, Wel
Why did you choose this facility?
Sweetness: I had no other choice I was goin to jail
Mia: court order
Tiffanie: Court Order
Tim: court order
Lindsay: Court Order
Kim: Court Order
Jebroni: I was forced to go to this rehab after I caught a prob violation (had no idea until the day they took me in, did not get a chance to tell my job, sort out family/living situations).
Teresa: court ordered
Ms Dar: Court ordered
Suburban Mom: I had no choice, I had violated probation and the only way to avoid prison was to go to jail and participate in the New Choices Program
Row: Court ordered
MALE26: PROBATION VIOLATION
KO: I was sent to the procgrame for substance abuse and a Probation violation.
Shockster: No choice. Court ordered
Shockley: I didn't. Apparently my judge did and this was hell. I thought it would be a typical rehab place. No. It is in jail. And it is 10 times worse than regular jail.
Wells: Court ordered

Tell us about the experience - was it positive or negative?
Sweetness: Harris County Jail is Jail true but its the young officers all of them that make jail bad. Jail is suppose to be a rehab not a torcher center
Mia: It was terrible in the beginning because I tried to fight it for such a long time. Once the counselors gave me the tools I needed I realized the oppertunity in front of me. It was my choice to implement them in my everyday life. If it wasn't for the amount of time I spent and the choice to be brutally honest about my past and the person I had become, I wouldn't be here today.
Tiffanie: It was extremely negative. All of the rules and principles that were the underlying part of the program were broken constantly by the inmates who would break every rule given to us in the New Choices Handbook. The program was built around the 12 step program of AA, with counselors contributing additional support and guidance and material for the inmates. The problem was that it did not take into account that many of us had issues that were not being dealt with, i.e. death. If you "worked the program" to its' fullest, you were supposed to come out on the other side with the tools you could utilize to enable yourself to go back into society and be able to change the way you dealt with your drug habit, i.e. no longer making those choices to do drugs. It ended up being cultish, contradictory to its' own teaching process by way of how all of the inmates acted after the counselors were gone. The counselors had some inmates on the inside who would transfer information to them because the counselors could not be there often, and talking to them one on one was impossible. The fear, paranoia, extortion by other inmates, stealing, physical attacks, sex going on at night, and so many other negative emotions did not contribute to any type of positive rehabilitative program. A cookie cutter program designed to scare, intimidate, demoralize, belittle, punish, etc. does not work for me. I definitely knew I had a problem, I was and am not a self-pitying person and my problems were rooted in many areas that could not be addressed by this program, only every problem I had was exacerbated by the way I was treated there.
Tim: it was only positive when the counselors were present
Lindsay: Very Positive! Being in a incarcerated facility, I had no option of leaving and if given that option, I would have most likely left. Ms. Beverly touched me in so many ways. Her experience and her personal life experiences is what helped change my life.
Kim: New Choices damaged me to a point that exceeded the amount of damage that I sustained prior to being there. Inmates are encouraged to turn each other in. B* and Ms. M* pit people against each other in an effort to create problems. When there are not problems, one is told that they are in non-compliance and they will be violated (New Choices is often a condition of probation, and failure to abide by the rules dictates the sentence that was probated according to the "counselors") I am an alcoholic. There is no denying that. I was there for my 2nd DWI. When I mentioned that I was having a difficult time relating with the other inmates, I was told that if I did not learn I would be sent to my prison sentence. That was by B*. I was looking for guidance since I hadnever seen anything like what the ladies were describing. They did not do anything but read the handouts (all of which I have). This is a program that works on paper, but with the wrong staff just simply does not work. Ms. P*-truly cares and wants to make a difference Ms. B*-Bitter, lies (said that she does not smoke and since I do not and I could smell smoke on her afte breaks). Ms. M*-Is still bitter for her ex husband causing problems in her life.
Jebroni: Negative! The "program" is a JOKE.
Teresa: Very negative.
Ms Dar: Some of inmates were nice most of them were faking til they made and the ones who were leaving said they are going back to drugs
Suburban Mom: I would have to say a little of both, because of course, anytime you go to jail, it's not very nice!! Initially, I was resistant to what I saw as brain-washing. I didn't feel like I had a problem, that I was being unnecessarily singled out. After all, I come from a good home, lived in a nice neighborhood, voted, and my kids went to excellent schools. I had been a girl scout leader, boy scout leader, and a member of my sisterhood board at my synagogue. I learned the hard way that addiction and it's devastating behaviors affect us all, no matter what your previous social status, and I do mean previous, because after addiction kicks in, you are no longer the same.
Row: NEGATIVE!!!!!
MALE26: NEGATIVE COUNSELORS SUCKED....ITS A SNITCH PROGRAM, PEOPLE ARE IN JAIL AND THEY EXPECT YOU TO BE ON YOUR BEST BEAHAVIOR OR THEYLL KICK YOU OUT AND SEND YOU TO PRISON. THERE WAS THIS SUPPOSEDLY CHRISTIAN GUY WHO PRAYED ALL DAY AND JUST BECAUSE HE DIDNT LIKE YOU HE WOULD MAKE SOMETHING UP ABOUT YOU AND SNITCH. SOME GUYS WHO BROKE THE RULES JUST PAID THIS SUPPOSEDLY MAN OF CHRIST OFF WITH COMMISSARY AND HE WOULDNT SNITCH. THE MOST MESSED UP PART ABOUT IT IS THAT THE COUNSELORS BELIEVED HIM. THAT MAN OF CHRIST WAS THE COUNSELORS TO GO GUY AND WHAT HE SAID ALL THE COUNSELORS BOWED DOWN TO HIM. AS SOON AS THE MAN OF CHRIST GOT OUT OF JAIL HE RELAPSED QUICK. MR H TALKED ABOUT 70% SUCCESS RATE, I DONT KNOW WHERE YOU GOT THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE GUY IN THERE WITH ME RELAPSE. THAT PROGRAM SUKCS. I WENT TO A DIFFERENT REHAB AND IT WORKED. THIS IS A WASTE OF TAX PAYERS MONEY. MR H WASNT A GOOD COUNSELOR, HE WAS HORRIBLE. ALWAYS QUICK TO JUDGE PEOPLE. AT THE END ALL THE COUNSELORS LOOK STUPID FOR BELIEVING THAT CHRISTIAN GUY AND MAKING HIM THERE TO GO GUY.
KO: For the people who wanted to change their life and to actually become a functioning member of society put in the work. My experience was Positive being that i was allot younger than the other inmates. The counselors gave me tools to apply to my everyday life with Spirituality, family, therapy etc. The experience was good for me and most of I learned how to take responsibility for my own actions. I have not been back to jail like the rest of people that I kept in contact with after the program. I have also moved on with my life and successful with the help of the new choices program for women.
Shockster: Negative
Shockley: Negative!!!
Wells: It was a total JOKE!!

Do you feel the program was successful?
Sweetness: No
Mia: absolutely.
Tiffanie: Not at all. I was released over a year ago after being in the program for 3 months (I was kicked out because they said I did not do my homework, but in reality, I had been sexually assaulted by another inmate). I have remained out of jail and drug free since December, 2007. This was not due to the program, but to the counseling and therapy I received after being released from jail. I had post traumatic stress syndrome from what went on in there and suffered terrible nightmares. People who were "successful" and graduated from this program are now in prison or jail, never learning anything (I know of 5 offhand).
Tim: yes
Lindsay: Absolutely. Of course you have to be at a point in your life where you are willing and ready to change and the steps given will make you successful in staying sober.
Kim: The only role that the program served was to give me to throw my sucess AT. Like an " I told you so".
Jebroni: No; the program is like a f*ing cult!! The ONLY benefit from being put through this program is being introduced to AA and the 12 Steps. The curriculum is all the exact same paperwork that I have worked through at other treatment facilities. And as for the honesty aspect, do not even try being remotely honest about your personal opinons or how you are feeling or what bothers you. Even when the counselors insist that there are "no wrong answers", they WILL get in your face in front of the other inmates and put your business out there! They also will take you out the program if they feel like you aren't suitable for "this kind of treatment" or if they "feel you are jeapordizing other inmates' sobriety" (aka speak your mind during group, don't give them the answer they want to hear when they ask a loaded question, do not get along with inmates that are their favorites) or if they feel like you "aren't taking the prog seriously". All of those reasons are up to the counselors' judgment, so if you come in and they get a bad impression about you, you are fucked bc you will have to kiss their ass for a while to keep from them hounding you. The counselors do not realize the extent of how the inmates bully, manipulate, put down, and blackmail each other. If they do, they don't give 2 shits about it.
Teresa: I don't feel it was successful. If the counselors didn't like you they treated you very ugly or would through you out. I think it was all about money for them.
Ms Dar: NO i got out befor they could damage me more than i was. the program was more about alcoholism than drug addiction.
Suburban Mom: I know it was successful! I completed my 5 year probation early, despite the death of one of my twin daughters 8 months after my release from the program. It would have been so easy to slide back and blame it on my severe pain. Yet, I see now that experiencing that pain and being active in the mourning process was far healthier than running away. I would have been running still.
Row: NO, cOUNSELORS ARE POOR FACILITAORS, tHEY SEEM TO ONLY GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS AND CLEARLY ACT AS THEY CARE ABOUT THE PROGRESS OF STUDENTS. THEY CRITISIZE AND BELITTLE STUDENTS W/O CAUSE. tHEY SHOULD REALIZE THAT WE ARE ALL ALREADY AT ROCK BOTTOM AND AWAY FROM OUR FAMILIES ETC. NO QUESTION, THE DIRECTOR OBVIOUSLY CONDONES & FOSTERS HER SUBORDINATES TO SUCH POOR CONDUCT. lATASHA IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM, BUT SHE IS ALLOWED TO BE ARROGANT AND ABUSIVE TO US
MALE26: NOPR
KO: The programe is very succeful for those who want to change and apply themselfs. The rest will be what they are drug addicts, but the program works. Thank you Mrs. Beverly and Ms. Natasha for helping me. Those poor ladies have to see a revolving door with a lot of these women coming back and forth to jail. Let me be the first to say I am successful, drug free, happy because of them.
Shockster: It was successful for me because I just wanted to complete it and get the hell out from under the bitter hands of the shriveled up hunchback of Harris County Beverly bitter butt Burke. She and the fat black woman and oh i cant forget about miss insecure too tight tshirt Natasha, tormented us daily with the threat of getting kicked out and going to prison. I wish I had the brains and guts of some of those women and did get kicked out. Would of been over and done with months sooner.
Shockley: No. Stay the hell out of jail. Don't get sent to the hole. New choices(the hole) is a 6 month, no matter what your judge or lawyer tells you, it's 6 months in one room, never to see the outside, no windows, never going outside, rarely going to gym(4:30am/1-3 times a week for. 1/2 hour) torture. Can u all imagine never leaving a room( full with 23 other crazy bitches) for 6 months?? That is not right. And miss Beverly wanted to take away our phone privileges. Can u imagine living in one room with 3 toilets with 23 other women? No privacy. Toilets and showers are all out in the plain site of everyone. Having to do all this paper work on your bed. No desks. I'm warning you all. Don't get into trouble. Don't choose rehab cuz you'll end up in hell. No joke. I just explained it to you and don't believe the judge or the lawyer. It's 6 months. Period.
Wells: Not at all. A total waste of time.

What advice would you give somebody considering going to this facility?
Sweetness: Be careful
Mia: It is REALLY tough in the beginning, but once you stop looking at yourself as a victim and take responsibility for why you are at your rock bottom, then you can truly start over. Everyday there are obstacles and conflict, but it is up to you to find peace within yourself.
Tiffanie: I would say I feel very sorry for them, and that they should try to do the best that they can, with an open mind. You are in the prison system, remember, and just like all of Harris County Jail, it's an entirely corrupt operation.
Tim: depends, this facility is not recommended for hard-core addicts
Lindsay: This facility is not one that someone normally would consider since it is mandated by the court but if it was an option, I would say go for it and give it all your effort!
Kim: Do not.
Jebroni: This program will f* with your head, mostly because the counselors do not follow through with what they say. They discipline at their convenience and based on how much they like that inmate. So when you first get in, make a good first impression because that will definitely help. Also, just tell em what they want to hear during group discussions and keep your opinions to yourself for the most part bc those counselors remember everything and use that shit against you whenever they wanna put you in your place as a crackhead junkie who isn't near as smart as them bc hey, you're in orange and they aren't right?
Teresa: Watch out at the end of the month they threw out people to get new ones in. Guess they get paid upon entry. The counselors were horrible and only attempted to help a chosen few. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME!
Ms Dar: DO NOT CONSIDER THIS PLACE. ITS NOT REHAB
Suburban Mom: Accept that you are there for a reason, even if you don't agree with why. First, be grateful you have a second chance. Second, apply yourself and listen with an open mind and heart. Remember that your goal is to leave the program and not be a repeat offender. Everyone doesn't get that choice! Third, You obviously screwed up somewhere, and if it's related to drugs and/or alcohol, it definitely will help you to see the damage their use, abuse, and sales cause! Four, you will not only learn how you can control your addiction, you will learn a better way of thinking and relating to the people and world around you!
Row: pRAY THAT COUNSELORS HAVE OTHER PEOPLE TO PICK ON MORE. tHERE ARE MANY BULLYS INSIDE AND IF YOU ATTEMPT TO REPORT THEM TO COUNSELORS, THEY SIMPLY MARK YOU AS THE PROBLEM AS OPPOSED TO INVESTIGATING. THOSE BULLYS ARE VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY NOT TO MENTION SEXUALLY ABUSIVE AND COUNSELORS IGNORE ALL COMPLAINTS...HENCE THEY CONDONE AND FOSTER THESE CRIMES. NOTE THT IN gp, LESS ISSUES SEEM TO HAPPEN...THE PERPS DONT HAVE THESE COUNSELORS TO PROTECT THEM! BE CAREFUL
MALE26: BE PREPARED FOR ALL THE BS YOU GOTTA GO THROUGH. BE VERY PATIENT AND BE READY TO TELL EM STUFF THEY WANNA HEAR
KO: Be happy that you are not in general population. Be happy that you have a chance and not waiting a year for a bed to open up in TDC. Apply yourself and use the time to figure out how you got in to the situation you’re in and how the program could help you. Listen to the counselors do the work and apply yourself.
Shockster: Get kicked out of program. Take the jail time especially if on probation after program. Take the conviction. Sorry but that's what I would do if I had to do it all over. Tell loved o Ed to not be afraid of these counselors. And anonymous my ass.
Shockley: Don't go. Choose jail time. This is hell. State jail is so much better. I promise
Wells: DONT WASTE YOUR TIME. THE COUNSELORS DONT DONT CARE ABOUT HELPINGYOU. They just want a paycheck. They are continuously putting you down and treat you like a dog! B**ly is a TOTAL BITCH!!! She acts like she cares but couldn't care less. Her daughter is a drug addict. If she's so good why can't she help her? Just sayin!! Take state jail time it's MUCH BETTER! PURE SCAM!!!!