Justice Alternatives for Wisconsin:
Reducing the Costs of the Criminal Justice System
Presentation to the Wisconsin Joint Legislative Council
May 9, 2007
Kate Battiato
Callie Gray
Patrick Mueller
Angela Witt
Presentation Overview
• Justice alternatives for nonviolent drug- and alcoholinvolved 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
400
Incarceration Rate: Prisoners per 100,000 People
350
300
250
Illinois
Indiana
200
Iowa
Minnesota
Wisconsin
150
100
50
0
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
1986
1987
1988
1989
Year
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
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
15000
10000
5000
0
-5000
-10000
Series1
Crimes
against
persons
Property
Crimes
Other Crimes
Total
Prisoners
Drug Crimes
11508
2929
2385
7931
-8754
Notes: 2000 was just prior to implementation of Statewide Treatment Instead
of Incarceration Initiative
Source: 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 Act
3. Statewide Treatment Instead of Incarceration
Law
4. Expand the Earned Release Program and/or
Challenge Incarceration Program
5. Expand Day Reporting Centers
6. 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 19912006
(Adjusted to 1991 dollars)
$900
$800
Budget (in millions of dollars, using 1991
dollars)
$700
$600
$500
$400
$300
$200
$100
$0
FY91
FY92
FY93
FY94
FY95
FY96
*
FY97
FY98
FY99
Fis cal Ye ar
FY00
FY01
FY02
FY03
FY04
FY05
FY06
DOC Budget Trends 1998-2006 and
Future Projections
$1,400
$1,200
Current
Trend Line
DOC Budget (in millions)
$1,000
$800
$600
$400
$200
$0
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Ye ar
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
DOC Budget: Trend Analysis Predictions and
Executive Budget Proposal 2007-09
$1,300
Trend Line Prediction
Executive Budget Proposal 2007-09
$1,250
DOC Budget (in millions)
$1,200
$1,150
$1,100
$1,050
$1,000
$950
2007
2008
Year
2009