Justice Alternatives for Wisconsin:Reducing the Costs of the Criminal Justice System

Presentation to the Wisconsin Joint Legislative CouncilMay 9, 2007

Kate BattiatoCallie Gray

Patrick MuellerAngela Witt

Presentation Overview

• Justice alternatives for nonviolent drug- and alcohol-involved offenders

• Program alternatives and implementation options

• Focus on cost and recidivism

• Implementation options to increase use of alternative justice programs

• Recommendations for further study

Incarceration Rates in Midwestern States

Source: U.S. Department of Justice

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1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

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r 100

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ple

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Incarceration in Wisconsin• The Incarcerated Population

– More than tripled from 1983-1999

– OWI & drug offenses: 60 percent prison growth 2001-06

– 83 percent of prisoners have an AODA treatment need

• Costs of Incarceration– Minimum security prisons: $29,751/ prisoner/year in 2006

– DOC budget over $1 billion and rising

• Recidivism– 38.7 percent of all released prisoners are convicted of a new offense

within 3 years

Pre-Incarceration Programs

• Drug Courts– Cost Savings: $1,000 - $15,000 annually per person

(GAO)• La Crosse County Drug Court Program estimates $18,000

annual cost savings per person

– Recidivism: Reduction in recidivism varies from 13 – 47 percent

• Dane County Drug Court Treatment Program estimates 42 percent reduction in recidivism

Pre-Incarceration Programs

• Treatment Instead of Incarceration– Cost Savings: California program saves about $150 million per

year• California also avoided building a $500 million dollar prison

– Recidivism: Has reduced the number of prisoners incarcerated for drug possession by almost one-third during a time period with a small rise in drug arrests

• So far there has been no noticeable increase in recidivism rates, but it is too soon to tell

Effects of Statewide Treatment Instead of Incarceration

Change in California's Prison Population Between 2000 and 2005

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-5000

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5000

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15000

Series1 11508 2929 2385 7931 -8754

Crimes against persons

Property Crimes

Other CrimesTotal

PrisonersDrug Crimes

Notes: 2000 was just prior to implementation of Statewide Treatment Instead of Incarceration InitiativeSource: DPA 2006

During Incarceration Programs

• Earned Release Program – Cost Savings: About $22,000 per released

prisoner; total of about $10 million in first 3 years

– Recidivism: Early results promising

• Challenge Incarceration Program– Cost Savings: About $39,000 per released

prisoner– Recidivism: Similar to that of other releases

Post-Incarceration Programs

• Day Reporting Centers– Cost Savings: $1,180 - $9,650 per participant – Recidivism: 11 percent fewer arrests compared

to control group • Of those who did recidivate, participants remained

arrest free for an average of four months longer

Implementation Options

1. Increase Treatment, Alternative, and Diversion (TAD) Grants

2. Community Corrections Act3. Statewide Treatment Instead of Incarceration

Law4. Expand the Earned Release Program and/or

Challenge Incarceration Program5. Expand Day Reporting Centers6. Modify Truth In Sentencing

Conclusions & Recommendations

• Conclusion: Alternative justice programs offer as good or better recidivism outcomes at lower costs than incarceration

• Recommendations:– Further study

– Focus on cost and recidivism

– Seriously consider recommending one or more implementation options for adoption by the Legislature

Questions?

Wisconsin Department of Corrections Budget 1991-2006

(Adjusted to 1991 dollars)

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FY91 FY92 FY93 FY94 FY95 FY96 * FY97 FY98 FY99 FY00 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06

Fiscal Year

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DOC Budget Trends 1998-2006 and Future Projections

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1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

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DOC Budget: Trend Analysis Predictions and Executive Budget Proposal 2007-09

$950

$1,000

$1,050

$1,100

$1,150

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2007 2008 2009

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Trend Line PredictionExecutive Budget Proposal 2007-09