NCJ Number
181857
Date Published
March 2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This fact sheet summarizes correctional system statistics, research, and drug treatment information, as well as information regarding ongoing projects that address drug abuse treatment in the criminal justice system.
Abstract
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) estimated that of the $38 billion spent on corrections in 1996, more than $30 billion was spent incarcerating individuals who had a history of drug and/or alcohol abuse, were convicted of drug and/or alcohol violations, were using drugs and/or alcohol at the time of their crimes, or had committed their crimes to get money to buy drugs. The average cost per year to incarcerate an inmate in the United States was $20,674; in 1997, the Federal average cost was $23,542, and in 1998, the State average was $20,261. The Federal Bureau of Prisons provided drug treatment to all eligible inmates prior to their release from custody. In approximately 7,600 State correctional facilities surveyed, 172,851 inmates were in drug treatment programs in 1997, less than 11 percent of the inmate population. In 1998, 73 percent of local jails provided drug treatment or programs, with 32.1 percent providing detoxification, 29.6 percent providing drug education, and 63.7 percent providing self-help programs. This fact sheet discusses drug treatment modalities, the cost of treatment, the outcomes of treatment, and alternatives to incarceration for drug-abusing offenders. 22 notes and 8 tables