Modern Therapeutic Communities (TCs) complement drug treatment systems in prisons and offer detained people with substance use disorders an environment in which they can reorganise their lives without crime and addictions.

This handbook on prison-based TCs was produced by the Pompidou Group with the help of renowned TC experts to assist member states in establishing and running a successful TC programme in custodial settings. It offers guidance on design, planning and implementation of a TC as well as a 10-module curriculum for trainers. It also includes lessons learned from the Pompidou Group’s experience in establishing the first prison-based TC in the Republic of Moldova. Since “Catharsis” in Pruncul prison has opened its doors for drug dependent people in 2018 many residents of the TC successfully completed the programme.