Cost Savings From Diversion to Treatment

"The lifetime societal net benefits accruing to the United States from our diversion scenarios are statistically significant and sizable, at US$8.5 billion (when diverting 10% of eligible offenders) and US$22.5 billion (when diverting 40% of eligible offenders), relative to baseline. The national criminal justice savings are similarly significant and sizable, at US$4.8 billion and US$12.9 billion, respectively. Importantly, the net benefits and cost savings estimates are conservative because the model follows only the single cohort of offenders who were incarcerated in 2004. As additional cohorts are considered in future years, the net benefits would be even larger."