It has been one year since the Tent City jail officially closed and six months since the Sheriff announced the space would be used to help inmates struggling with substance misuse. The air-conditioned, former Tent City day room is now classroom and living space for participants in the nationally-recognized MOSAIC program run by Maricopa County Correctional Health Services. The seven-week curriculum, focused on the moderate to high risk jail population, teaches participants to deal with past trauma and gives them skills to replace the substance. The overarching goal is to reduce the likelihood they will return to jail.
MOSAIC began in January of 2017 in the Durango and Estella jails. Since moving to the Tent City dayroom site last summer, an additional 200 people have graduated from the program.
MOSAIC participants are housed in an open setting and receive direct supervision from Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office detention staff. This model is considered to be a best practice in jails nationwide.
The MOSAIC curriculum is driven by evidence and has continued to evolve. In recent months, Correctional Health has added domestic violence support for women, increased connections and resources for homeless individuals, and evidence-based tobacco cessation programming. Relapsing to tobacco is correlated with relapsed to other drugs, including opioids, and to increased rates of recidivism.
Preliminary data show MOSAIC is having a positive impact on recidivism, but specific numbers will be released in the coming months.
This video takes you inside MOSAIC classrooms for an in-depth look at what’s being taught.
This video covers the announcement of MOSAIC's expansion in the former Tent City day room.