NCJ Number
156255
Date Published
1991
Length
118 pages
Annotation
An October 1991 congressional hearing focused on drug treatment and rehabilitation for drug-abusing criminal offenders.
Abstract
Speakers included treatment program directors, criminal justice officials, and ex-offenders. A committee member noted that inmate drug treatment is effective and that each dollar spent on drug treatment will save $12 in future incarceration costs. Instead of spending $100,000 to build a cell and at least $60 per day to house an inmate, a State can simply convert existing prison beds to treatment beds, thereby saving taxpayer dollars while dramatically improving the safety and quality of life in our communities. Prison- based programs can change both attitudes and behavior patterns; it is also essential to follow up on the treatment with community-based aftercare to help with the transition to life outside prison and to prevent ex-offenders from returning to their former activities and lifestyle. Figures, tables, and written testimony