• Posted October 7, 2024

Diverting Low-Level Criminals to Drug-Treatment Programs Instead of Jail Reaps Rewards

A Wisconsin program that sends suspects in minor drug-related crimes to treatment instead of jail is paying off, a new study shows.

Researchers who evaluated the Madison Area Recovery Initiative (MARI) found that non-violent offenders who were given a clinical assessment and six months of substance use treatment were less likely to be arrested, jailed or die of an overdose in the year after their initial arrest.

"There are many sectors of our community, beyond clinical providers, patients and families, that are involved in or impacted by addiction and who are interested in innovative solutions," said study co-author Dr. Aleksandra Zgierska, a professor of public health sciences at Penn State University. "We thought that responding to drug use-related crime may serve as a point of intervention to facilitate addiction treatment, which we know is effective in improving health and lives and in reducing crime."

The idea for MARI arose from conversations between Zgierska and two Madison police captains about ways law enforcement can help address the opioid epidemic and related crimes. 

"The key was to create evidence-based, community-focused practices in policing," said study co-author Joseph Balles, a retired police captain who led the project.

It regards substance use disorder as a chronic disease that needs longer-term engagement. 

Adults accused of minor, drug-use related crimes are eligible for tailored treatment, counseling, peer support and recovery services in lieu of arrest or prosecution.

Criminal charges are put on hold during treatment and wiped out for participants who complete the six-month program.

Several other papers on the project have already been published. It has become a model for programs across the nation and for the U.S. Department of Justice.

"Criminal charges that become part of one's record and come up on background checks can adversely impact access to resources vital to recovery such as housing or employment," said study first author Dr. Jennifer Nyland, an assistant professor of neural and behavioral sciences at Penn State. 

Between September 2017 and August 2020, 263 people were enrolled in the program. Of those, 103 engaged in the program, 100 successfully completed it and 60 did not.

Compared to participants who completed the program, those who failed were 3.6 times more likely to be arrested and 21 times more likely to be jailed within 12 months. Those who failed to engage in it were 3.9 times more likely to be arrested and 10.3 times more likely to be jailed, according to the study.

A year later, 5.8% of participants who did not engage and 3.3% of those who started but didn't finish MARI had a fatal overdose. That compared to 2% of those who finished the program.

Those who did not engage were more likely to be female, have an extensive criminal record and lack permanent housing.

The findings appear in the October issue of the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment.

"When you read the evaluations, people often expressed the sentiment that, 'I can't believe it was law enforcement that introduced me to recovery.' That's what I'm most proud of," Balles said in a Penn State news release. 

More information

Learn more about treatment for substance use disorder at the Cleveland Clinic.

SOURCE: Penn State, news release, Oct. 3, 2024