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The panel presentations from the 2009 NIJ Conference are based on an NIJ-sponsored evaluation of the effectiveness of Kansas Senate Bill 123, which mandates community-based drug abuse treatment for drug possession by nonviolent offenders in lieu of prison.
How can we prevent reoffending and reduce costs? Research points to a number of solutions. At the Tuesday plenary, Judge Steven Alm from Hawaii will describe his successes with hard-core drug offenders. “Swift and sure” is his motto. West Virginia Cabinet Secretary James W. Spears will discuss the issues from his state's perspective, and Adam Gelb, Director of the Pew Charitable Trust's Public Safety Performance Project, will lend a national overview.
At the conclusion of the judicial process, a judge may sentence an individual convicted of a crime to some type of penalty or sanction, such as a decree of imprisonment, a fine, or other punishments.
Alternatives to detention and confinement are approaches in lieu of incarceration when other options such as treatment, community-based sanctions, or residential placements are more appropriate. Successfully completing these types of programs typically result in a charge being dropped or reduced, while failure may result in the restoration or heightening of the original penalties.