Recidivism to the Criminal Justice System of Substance-Abusing Offenders Diverted into Treatment

Abstract

In 1989, Wisconsin funded Treatment Alternative Programs (TAP), based on the Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (TASC) model, to provide treatment alternatives in lieu of imprisonment for substance-abusing offenders. TAP's goal is to break the offender's drug/crime cycle, using a case management model. Follow-up studies assessed TAP participant recidivism over an 18-month period. Client recidivism information since admission to TAP was obtained from numerous public sources, including probation/parole and court records. Results strongly suggest that offenders completing TAP are significantly less likely to recidivate than offenders not completing the program. Cost analyses suggest TAP can be more cost-effective than incarceration.