alternatives to incarceration

The global incarceration rate has been steadily rising, with nearly 11 million individuals detained either awaiting trial or serving sentences worldwide. Prison overcrowding presents a longstanding and pervasive challenge for numerous...

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) highlights the strong link between drug use and criminal behavior, recognizing addiction as a disease requiring public health and safety interventions. The administration aims to break the cycle of drug use and crime through innovative, evidence-based approaches. These include smart probation strategies, like Hawaii's HOPE program and South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety Project, which emphasize swift and certain sanctions for violations, reducing recidivism and saving costs. Drug courts, which combine treatment with judicial oversight, have shown success in reducing substance use and criminal activity. The administration supports expanding these programs to improve public safety and health outcomes while reducing correctional costs.

Alternatives to incarceration (ATIs) are mainly designed for offenders whose criminal behavior is driven by an underlying substance abuse disorder. This behavior can include not only crimes related to substance use (e.g., possession) but...

Comorbid mental illnesses and substance use disorders are associated with adverse criminal, social, and health outcomes. Yet, their burden is not reliably known among prison populations. We therefore aimed to estimate the prevalence of comorbid serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders (dual disorders) among people in prison worldwide.