North Dakota Department of Corrections Seeks to Cut Costs by Offering Treatment to People on Probation and Parole

Date:  03-21-2017 Seven million dollars would be earmarked for substance abuse and mental health treatment

From The Bismark Tribune: Probationers and parolees may be the first to see improvements in mental health and substance abuse treatment after this legislative session. The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is requesting to cut its own costs by prioritizing who goes to prison, in order to provide services to people who may do better on the outside. Tucked into the corrections budget bill is a $7 million transfer to the North Dakota Department of Human Services to offer treatment to up to 2,059 people on supervision with the idea that services will turn them away from further crime. The funding hinges on authority given to the prisons and county jails to treat bed space as a commodity instead of an expandable resource. The bill, SB2015, is the result of a tight budget, ever-increasing prison population and a growing awareness of the tight link between mental health, addiction and incarceration. Continue reading >>>