AB 178/SB 153: Treatment Alternative and Diversion (TAD) Expansion

This bill expands the Treatment Alternative and Diversion (TAD) programs by allowing a program funded by a TAD grant to provide treatment programs for a person with mental illness.

The TAD program continues to be a cost-effective component of Wisconsin’s criminal legal system: for every $1 spent on TAD programs, the state is estimated to save between $5.15-$5.92 for treatment court programs and $8.18-$9.12 for diversion programs. By providing greater flexibility to jurisdictions in program eligibility, programs can be better tailored to the needs of local communities while reducing recidivism, encouraging voluntary treatment in the community, and saving money.

The rates of people with disabilities in the United States criminal system are two to six times those of the general population. In particular, people with mental illness are dramatically overrepresented in jails and prisons across the country. According to DOC data, 43% of men and 90% of women in Wisconsin’s DOC institutions have a mental health condition. This bill is a critical step to addressing
the treatment needs of Wisconsinites on the front-end of the system