Alcohol withdrawal is the syndrome with the highest mortality rate, although withdrawal from opiates and depressant drugs such as benzodiazepines can also prove life-threatening. These statistics emphasize the need for correctional nurses to give special attention to drug and alcohol withdrawal. The correctional nurse’s most important responsibility in handling substance abuse is identifying individuals who may withdraw from any substances, whether they are legally prescribed, illicit, or additive substances. The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment-Alcohol Revised (CIWA-Ar) is a nationally recognized evaluation tool for alcohol withdrawal monitoring. Common medications used in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal treatment include Ativan, folic acid, Haldol, Librium, multivitamins, thiamine, and Valium. In addition to alcohol, correctional nurses are confronted with several other substance withdrawal categories which include Benzodiazepines, Cannabis, Hallucinogens, and Opiates. Correctional nurses should be alert to the emergence of symptoms of mental illness in withdrawing patients and initiate appropriate evaluation and treatment.