Oral history interview with Jean Scott, 2014

Biographical Note

Jean Scott was born in Brooklyn and was raised by her grandmother. Heroin addiction led to a series of arrests in the late 1960s, and her parole officer referred her to Phoenix House. After completing her treatment, she became a house director on Hart Island and at Phelan Place, after which she headed the purchasing department. Beginning in the early 1980s, she was promoted to be assistant clinical director, working with Kevin McEneaney. In this position, she was instrumental in the opening of prison programs in Texas, New York and California. She retired from Phoenix House in 2008

Scope and Contents

Jean Scott details her pathway to Phoenix House as an addict, and how she quickly rose within the ranks to become assistant clinical director. She gives particular attention to the opening of prison programs in California, New York and Texas. She describes her professional partnership with Kevin McEneaney, especially with respect to prison programs and the development of the occupational training curriculum. She discusses in great detail the evolution and subsequent breakdown of the therapeutic community model during her long career at Phoenix House

Subjects

• Drug addicts--Rehabilitation--United States.
• Drug courts--United States.
• Executives--Interviews.
• Heroin abuse--United States--History--20th century.
• Imprisonment--United States.
• Interviews.
• Oral histories (literary works)
• Phoenix House (Organization)
• Scott, Jean--(Phoenix House employee)--Interviews.
• Substance abuse--Treatment.
• Therapeutic communities.
• Thurner, Lance, interviewer.

Access Conditions

Copyright by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, 2014