A drug court program in Tuscon is on the verge of losing its funding, despite saving taxpayers $30,000 per enrollee. A recent story highlighted the program, called Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison (DTAP).
Pima County chief deputy Amelia Cramer said, “Of course, it takes money to save money so we have to have the money to put into this program: $10,000 per participant to save $40,000. It’s going to cost Arizona taxpayers one way or the other.”
The program is on the tail end of a three-year grant and is now looking for funding to continue. Without the funds, most of the non-violent drug offenders would otherwise be back in prison, costing the taxpayers more than it would to simply run the program.
There are other associated savings when successful rehabilitation is used instead of incarceration. There is also the added point that people who are rehabilitated are usually employed and thus actually paying taxes back into the system rather than receiving money from it.
Often times people going through an alternative sentencing program can choose their own rehabilitation facility with approval if they have their own insurance or other financial means. This allows them to seek out treatment centers such as Desert Cove Recovery, which offers top-notch care to its clients.
