Doug McVay, Vincent Schiraldi, & Jason Ziedenberg, Treatment or Incarceration: National
and State Findings on the Efficacy of Cost Savings of Drug Treatment Versus
Imprisonment (March 2004), Justice Policy Institute Policy Report.

Available at: http://www.justicepolicy.org/article.php?list=type&type=98

“Though the time behind bars spent is limited, the impact of a felony
conviction may last a lifetime, and even a short period of incarceration has
been shown to affect people’s earnings, and ability to get a job, to be
parents, and to become productive parts of their communities.” Id. at 3.

“Treatment is a much less expensive option than incarceration for handling
substance abusing offenders.” Id. at 5.

“Dollar for dollar, treatment reduces the societal costs of substance abuse
more effectively than incarceration does.” Id.at 6.

National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study 1997 Highlights (March 1997)
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Substance
Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Available at: http://www.health.org/nties97/costs.htm

Treatment appears to be cost effective, particularly when compared to
incarceration, which is often the alternative.

National Institute on Drug Abuse, Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice
Populations, National Institutes of Health (2006).

Available at http://www.nida.nih.gov/PDF/PODAT_CJ/PODAT_CJ.pdf

“Untreated substance abusing offenders are more likely to relapse to drug
abuse and return to criminal behavior. This can bring about re-arrest and reincarceration,
jeopardizing public health and public safety and taxing criminal
justice system resources. Treatment offers the best alternative for
interrupting the drug abuse/criminal justice cycle for offenders with drug
abuse problems.”

“In 2002, it was estimated that the cost to society of drug abuse was $180.9
billion (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2004), a substantial portion of
which—$107.8 billion—is associated with drug-related crime, including
criminal justice system costs and costs borne by victims of crime. The cost
of treating drug abuse (including research, training, and prevention efforts)
was estimated to be $15.8 billion, a fraction of these overall societal costs.

Drug abuse treatment is cost effective in reducing drug use and bringing
about associated healthcare, crime, and incarceration cost savings.”
Jennifer C. Karberg and Doris James, Substance Dependence, Abuse, and Treatment of
Jail Inmates, 2002, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report (2005).

Available at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/sdatji02.pdf

“In 2002, 68% of jail inmates reported symptoms in the year before their
admission to jail that met substance dependence or abuse criteria.”
“Three-quarters of inmates in jail for drug or property offenses met
dependence or abuse criteria.“

“Half of all convicted jail inmates were under the influence of drugs or alcohol
at the time of offense.”

Rydell, C.P. & S.S. Everingham, Controlling Cocaine (1994). Prepared for the Office of
National Drug Control Policy and the United States Army.

Each dollar spent on cocaine treatment yield $7.48 in societal benefits.
Josh Rutledge, Drug Treatment Urged in Criminal Justice, The Wash. Times, July 25, 2006,
at A6.

A report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states that failure
to treat incarcerated dug abusers can lead to higher crime rates and reincarceration
and “the costs of treatment are not nearly as high as the costs
to society when drug abuse is ignored.”

“Ninety-five percent of those who receive no treatment while incarcerated
end up relapsing into drugs. And 70 percent of those end up re-incarcerated
as a result.”

“NIDA says every dollar spent toward effective treatment programs yields a
$4 to $7 return in reduced drug-related crime, criminal costs and theft. That
return is even greater when health care savings are taking into account.”