Somewhere in our state right now, an inmate is struggling with the slavery of substance abuse. He has fallen into a downward spiral of addiction and criminality, and has landed behind bars.
Drug use and crime are often entangled. Some offenders with substance-use disorders are arrested on drug possession charges; others may be arrested for crimes committed to fund an addiction. In short, many criminal offenders are people caught in the downward spiral of addiction and criminality.
For that reason, one of the keys to reducing criminal recidivism is drug rehabilitation. As discussed in the Utah Foundation’s new report, Rethinking Rehabilitation, investing in rehabilitation for offenders can yield significant savings to taxpayers in the long run. A recent report by the federal Council of Economic Advisers estimated that programs that address prisoners’ substance-abuse problems can save taxpayers up to $5.27 for every $1 spent. This suggests that rehabilitation isn’t just a public health concern or a public safety matter, but also a fiscal issue.
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