A new report says the cost of arresting, trying, jailing and rehabilitating criminals with drug and alcohol-related crimes in West Virginia was nearly $333 million last year.

The report, released by the Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being, is the first comprehensive look at the cost of substance abuse to West Virginia's criminal justice system.

The agencies burdened the most are the Division of Corrections and the Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority. In 2008, the authority spent over $51 million, more than half its budget, on criminals whose crimes were tied to drugs or alcohol.

The costs for almost all state agencies involved in handling substance abuse-related crimes have climbed significantly since 2005.