Recidivism Prevention Key Findings:
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Texas spends approximately 90% of criminal justice funds on prison beds or “hard incarceration.” Only 10% goes towards community-based programming, like substance abuse treatment and probation programs.[i]
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Every dollar spent on treatment will yield $7 in future savings.[ii]
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Texas has the largest incarcerated population in the U.S., 80% of which reports a history of drug and alcohol abuse.[ii] Approximately 55% report using drugs or alcohol when committing the crime that resulted in their incarceration.[ii]
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Texas currently spends more to incarcerate people for drug possession ($274 million) than the state invests in all forms of substance abuse treatment.
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A 2002 survey of Texas’ state jail inmates found that 52% of women and 44% of men met the criteria for alcohol or drug dependence.
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Statistics confirm that states with higher rates of incarceration for drug offenses experience higher – not lower – rates of drug use. Approximately 22% (32,550) of Texas prisoners are incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses.
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Ninety percent of Texas prisoners have not received formal substance abuse treatment during incarceration.[ii]
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Research shows that evidence-based treatment programs are more likely to reduce crime than “tough on crime” penalties. After conducting an analysis of various criminal justice models, the Texas Criminal Justice Policy Council found that offenders who received appropriate treatment were 4 times less likely to go back to prison than those who did not receive treatment.
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Other studies have shown that severe punishments for low-level offenses can have the opposite effect of that intended.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, National Corrections Institute:
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Punishment produced a -0.07% change in an individual’s inclination towards criminal activity (meaning it increased criminal behavior).
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Treatment produced a 15% positive change in an individual’s inclination towards criminal activity (meaning it decreased criminal behavior).
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Cognitive skills programs produced a 29% decrease in an individual’s inclination towards criminal activity (meaning they were best at decreasing criminal behavior).