Intermediate punishments are generally funded through a combination of state and county money, with offenders often paying for their own supervision and drug testing.

Once established, intermediate punishments cost considerably less to maintain than prisons. An inmate can cost taxpayers between $14,000 and $25,000 a year, depending on the state, and not counting the cost of prison construction, providing welfare for the family or foster placement for the children. Annualized costs for an offender sentenced to an intermediate sanction are far lower: $2,500 for outpatient drug and alcohol treatment, for instance, and about $6,000 for intensive supervision probation. Inpatient drug treatment, probably the most expensive program, can cost almost as much as prison on a daily basis, but the stay is relatively short before the offender moves on to a closely monitored and much less expensive outpatient program. Moreover, while bonds may raise immediate funds for construction, they must be repaid with interest and the buildings maintained and staffed with funds that come directly from the state or county budget.

Savings don’t happen immediately, however. Funding is required up front to establish good programs that are well supervised and carefully targeted. But using intermediate punishments for selected offenders who would otherwise be prison bound can avoid significant future costs. If they are used in a meaningful way, a prison wing can be closed or a new prison or jail eliminated.

**For more information about community corrections funding in the states, click here for a list of Community Corrections laws.