U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison

NCJ Number
240595
Author(s)
Anne J. Swern
Date Published
February 2011
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This annual report from the Kings County District Attorney's Office in Kings County, New York, contains information and updates on the Office's Drug Treatment Alternative-to-Prison program.
Abstract
This document contains the 20th Annual Report on the Kings County District Attorney's Office's Drug Treatment Alternative-to-Prison (DTAP) program. The program was created in 1990 as an alternative to prison for nonviolent, drug-addicted chronic felons. The program has three primary objectives: reduce drug use, improve public safety, and save money. Highlights from the work of the program as of October 14, 2010, include the following: as of the end of the fiscal year, 2,890 defendants had been accepted into DTAP; since the program's inception, 1,250 participants had successfully completed treatment, with 55 completing treatment in FY 2010; the diversion of these program participants from prison has resulted in over $50 million in savings in terms of costs of incarceration, public assistance, and healthcare; and successful program participants have a 5-year post-treatment recidivism rate that is half the rate for comparable offenders who have served time in prison. This report has five sections detailing information on DTAP. The Introduction presents a description of the program, while the second section details the program's procedures. Program operations - screening, intake, and retention and graduation - are covered in the third section, while the program's impact on community safety, crime reduction, employment, and cost-savings are covered in the fourth section. Figures and appendix