Substance Misuse and Incarceration in Tennessee

Authors

Katie Cahill, University of Tennessee KnoxvilleFollow
Duane Slone, 4th Judicial District, TennesseeFollow
Jason R. Trautwein, University of Tennessee KnoxvilleFollow
Ricki Dierenfeldt PhD, University of Tennessee ChattanoogaFollow
Kelly E. Moore PhD, East Tennessee State UniversityFollow
James M. Hart, University of Tennessee Institute of Public ServiceFollow
Jennifer G. Tourville DNP, University of TennesseeFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 5-1-2021

Abstract

Key Points

• Corrections in Tennessee cost over $1 billion annually due to a rising incarceration rate.
• The State’s increasing incarceration rate is related to the growth in substance misuse which on its own costs Tennessee $2 billion each year and leads to over $1 billion in lost income from a shrinking work force.
• Prioritizing evidence-based treatment that targets the underlying medical and behavioral issues driving addictive habits for justice-involved individuals could simultaneously address rising recidivism, reincarceration, and growing substance misuse.

See report attached, and for additional information, visit https://smart.tennessee.edu/policy-briefs/substance-misuse-incarceration-tn/ .

Recommended Citation

Cahill, Katie; Slone, Duane; Trautwein, Jason R.; Dierenfeldt, Ricki PhD; Moore, Kelly E. PhD; Hart, James M.; and Tourville, Jennifer G. DNP, "Substance Misuse and Incarceration in Tennessee" (2021). SMART Policy Briefs.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/spn_briefs/3