Alternative Incarceration Programs

In an effort to save money by avoiding incarceration costs and cut down on crime using modern rehabilitation methods, alternative incarceration programs have been instituted in various parts of the country. The programs have been both heralded and reviled by the public and remain a controversial subject despite reports of their success.

Features

Alternative incarceration programs are various options available to judges when sentencing people for a crime. The programs are designed to create opportunities for criminals to fulfill their sentence in a way besides incarceration in the prison system. Alternative incarceration programs allow a criminal to receive treatment, employment and even education and training under the strict supervision of law enforcement officers. If these programs are successful, the criminal is reformed and a successful member of their community. If it fails, the judge can return them to the prison system.

Types

There are many different types of alternative incarceration programs. Pretrial services are designed to save cities and states the cost of keeping suspects in detention, despite the fact they cannot post bail. The court system decides if individuals represent a risk to the community and seeks assurance from community ties that they will return for trial. Drug and alcohol programs offer treatment to individuals who are convicted of a non-violent crime involving drugs or alcohol. Community service sets up a system by which non-violent offenders can repay their debt to society through supervised, unpaid work. These programs range from elderly assistance to trash detail on highways. Defender-based advocacy programs screen defendants to see which ones would be a value to their community. They allow people to return to work and their life with the purpose of contributing to society. These individuals are generally determined eligible on a case-by-case basis with a Public Defender's Office or a legal aid service. There are also a variety of specialized programs that are determined individually by judges. Many of the participants for these programs are juveniles and women. They work with families to allow the criminals to return to their community and follow strict guidelines during their sentences.

Benefits

According to the New York Criminal Justice Agency, the average felon in an alternative incarceration program serves 116 days less of their sentence per year. During a study conducted over the course of 21 months, the city had displaced 133,853 days of incarceration. This means that the programs cut the costs of city and state budgets by not having to pay incarceration costs. The average yearly cost per an inmate in New York, according to the Department of Corrections, is $62,595. An alternative incarceration program costs between $1,400 and $13,000 per person. The cost savings can also be seen in the community. Foster care, shelter, welfare and child support costs can all be controlled easier because the felons are attempting to be a valued part of society. Illegal drug use by felons falls from 80 percent to 42 percent in those participating. This is because the financial and social burdens of rehabilitation are placed back on the family and in the community.

Potential

A study conducted by the New York Criminal Justice Agency reports that the felons participating in the programs were less likely to be arrested a second time than felons who were incarcerated in a traditional jail or prison. The Vera Institute of Justice shows that the majority of felons complete their alternative incarceration programs and are no more likely to re-offend than their counterparts who spent time in a jail. This means that these programs are producing results in the form of less crime and fewer repeat offenders. Both studies conclude that alternative incarceration programs work better than standard prisons.
In New York City, alternative incarceration programs were instituted in 1994. The residency in the jail declined by 23 percent within 10 years. This occurred at the same time as the overall national jail population increased by 36 percent. Violent crime statistics of that period showed that the total crime rate for the city dropped by 52 percent.

Significance

Participants in alternative incarceration programs can use the options available to them to better their lives. Drug treatment is readily available. The programs help the felon get a high school diploma or GED and job training. The average program in the United States requires those participating to attend nine group therapy sessions with other felons like them. They also receive one to two hours of personal one-on one therapy. In addition, the families of the participants also receive access to a support system, helping all parties with the acclimation process.

Communities also benefit from the services that alternative incarceration programs can provide. Hundreds of thousands of hours of community service are performed by participants each year in New York City alone. Staffers who work in one of these programs offer support to the community in areas that are hit hardest by crime. They organize efforts to rebuild neighborhoods, leveraging the workforce that is created by the system.

Resources

• New York State alternative incarceration programs
• Arguments against alternative incarceration programs
• Second chance communities