Addressing the relationship between substance abuse and incarceration across the state, Attorney General Josh Kaul and Gov. Tony Evers announced the expansion of treatment court and diversion programs during a press conference Monday at the Capitol.
An available $1.5 million from the 2019-’21 state budget will fund the expansion over the next two years in order to assist substance abusers in their rehabilitation, rather than getting admitted into the criminal justice system.
Treatment court and diversion programs provide local authorities the opportunity to give non-violent drug offenders the chance to enter rehabilitation programs opposed to prison sentences.
“The TAD Program gives people who end up in the criminal justice system, because they need testament or because they needed something diverted, the opportunity not to go through the criminal justice process as people historically have, but to have treatment provided to them and to have alternatives to incarceration provided,” Kaul said.
In collaboration with the Department of Corrections, Department of Health Services, Director of State Courts Office and State Public Defender’s Office, the Wisconsin Department of Justice is managing the program.
Kaul explained that rather than imprisonment, creating options for diversion programs also results in more effective rehabilitation, saves tax dollars and creates smaller prison populations.
“For every dollar we spend on treatment and diversion, we save nearly two dollars in our criminal justice system, so our budget investment was critically important, and I’m proud that we’re using these funds to expand treatment alternatives so we can reach more folks across our state,” Evers said explaining the economic benefits.
TAD programs also enhance the outcome of preventing substance-addicted individuals from committing potential crimes due to their addictions, creating lower recidivism rates.
Adams County Treatment Court Coordinator Lisa Curless testified for positive impact and the importance of implementing additional funding on her community.
”Breaking the cycle of addiction through collaborative treatment programs and empowering participants to achieve lifelong recovery from substance abuse so they become productive citizens of the community,” Curless said.
The expanded TAD funds are a part of continuous annual funding. Over the next two years, TAD funding totals nearly $14.4 million, including county court drug programs and support treatment courts throughout the state.
In total, the funding will create four new diversion programs and expand seven existing programs.
Through the new initiatives, Door County will receive $140,000 to form a drug court, Ho-Chunk Nation will be granted over $70,000 to establish a Healing to Wellness Court and Lafayette County will be awarded over $118,000 to create an Operated While Intoxicated court.
