Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) Program: Advancing Diversion in Wisconsin 2007-2010 Executive Summary

• NCJ Number: 237577
• Author(s): Kit R. Van Stelle; Janae Goodrich; Jason Paltzer
• Date Published: December 2011
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: Wisconsin Dept of Corrections; Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance; University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute; Wisconsin Dept of Health Services
• Sale Source: University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
• Publication Format: Document; Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Summary); Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: See NCJ-237576 for the Evaluation Report

Annotation

This is the executive summary of an evaluation report that documents the implementation of Wisconsin's Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) program in seven sites, along with participant offenders' intermediate and long-term outcomes.

Abstract

The evaluation found that the TAD program has successfully implemented alternatives to prosecution and incarceration for nonviolent offenders with alcohol and other drug problems, and the program has positively impacted both offender outcomes and the service systems within local communities. All seven of the TAD sites evaluated provide participants with case management, substance abuse treatment, drug testing, and monitoring, but they vary in program model/approach, length, treatment intensity, and target population. Four of the TAD projects are adult drug treatment courts. Using standard drug treatment court models, these sites serve nonviolent offenders before and after adjudication through the integration and collaboration of judicial, treatment, probation, social services, law enforcement, and case-management services. Three of the projects use diversion models. A total of 2,061 offenders were admitted to TAD between project initiation in 2007 through December 31, 2010, 1.856 of whom were discharged from the program during the 4-year period; 64 percent of those discharged successfully completed the program. TAD diversion projects had a 66-percent completion rate, and TAD treatment courts had a 55-percent graduation rate. Overall, 12 percent of TAD participants were admitted to prison after discharge, 7 percent within 1 year, 11 percent within 2 years, and 12 percent within 3 years. This is higher than incarceration rates for offenders on probation with no prior prison incarceration; however, the TAD rate is much lower than that for all prison releases (43.7 percent). Offenders who completed TAD were nine times less likely to be admitted to State prison after program participation than those who did not complete the program. Recommendations for improvement are offered. 3 figures and 3 references