New York has been a leader in this area , diverting some non-violent offenders into drug court programs and away from prison , and extending early release to other non-violent offenders who participate in treatment programs . And while national prison populations have consistently increased , in New York the state prison population has dropped steadily and has 12,000 fewer inmates now than it did in 1999 . And since 1999 , the overall crime rate in New York has dropped 27 % . Other states have followed New York 's example . And most importantly , studies show significant reductions in re-arrests , from about 15 to 30 percentage points , for drug-court participants as compared to criminals simply incarcerated .