Wisconsin needs to invest more money in addiction treatment if it wants to cut prison costs and populations, a new report says.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Jan. 30 that the report from Justice Strategies found that the state could ultimately save $43 million annually by diverting half of the state's 5,000 low-level drug, property-crime, and DWI felony offenders to treatment. But that's only if the state first spends the money to expand treatment and wraparound services for offenders.

The study was commissioned by the Drug Policy Alliance, a national drug-policy reform group. Researchers Judith Greene and Kevin Pranis said that Wisconsin needed to spend $22 million annually to provide quality treatment for 3,000 nonviolent offenders.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Charles Kahn said the findings were no surprise to judges. "Whether the legislature or county governments will go along and make responsible budgetary decisions, I don't know," Kahn said.