Substance Abuse Policy Research Program Project Results

RAND Analysis of California's Proposition 36, Which Provides Drug Treatment Instead of Jail Time to Non-Violent Drug-Possession Offenders, Shows No Increase in Crime

Research on the implementation and impact of California's Proposition 36, a diversion program for non-violent, drug-possession offenders

Researchers at RAND Corp., led by Martin Y. Iguchi, PhD, studied the implementation of California's Proposition 36, a program that diverts people convicted of nonviolent drug-possession offenses from incarceration to parole with drug treatment. Orange County, Calif., served as the study site.

The project was part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) national Substance Abuse Policy Research Program (SAPRP) (for more information see Program Results).

Key Findings:

  • Overall, results suggest that there has been no overwhelming change in the aggregate level of crime committed in Orange County as a result of Proposition 36. However, further research is required to confirm these results.

Substance Abuse Policy Research Program Project Results

Individual project results from the RWJF initiative, Substance Abuse Policy Research Program

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