Feasibility of a pretrial diversion pilot in Kent County, Rhode Island

Excerpt

The U.S. correctional population is disproportionately burdened with chronic health conditions, particularly mental health and substance use disorders. Though inmates receive health care, linkages to care upon release are often poor or nonexistent. Further, the magnitude of the justice-involved population strains state and Federal finances. The annual cost per offender awaiting trial in Rhode Island is approximately $40,000. A diversion program (an alternative sentence diverting from incarceration and offering potential relief to courts and better outcomes for offenders) with linkages to health care has the potential to reduce costs by addressing the underlying physical, mental, and behavioral health issues keeping individuals in the justice system. …