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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 12:20 pm
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Results for cost-benefit analysis
165 results foundAuthor: Cowell, Alexander J. Title: An Economic Evaluation of the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative Summary: The Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) funded agencies in 2003 to develop programs to improve criminal justice, employment, education, health, and housing outcomes for released prisoners. This report presents a detailed analysis of costs of programming before release and a cost-benefit analysis comprising costs and benefits from both before and after release. Details: Research Triangle Park, NC: RTI International, 2009. 58p., app. Source: Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 117348 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisPrisoner Reentry |
Author: Roman, John K. Title: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Reclaiming Futures Summary: This report outlines and costs and benefits of the Reclaiming Futures initiative, a community-based demonstration project to combat juvenile drug use and delinquency. The evaluation found improvements in treatment delivery and effectiveness, cooperation and information-sharing among service providers, and family involvement in youth care. Details: Portland, OR: Reclaiming Futures National Program Office, Portland State University, 2010. 37p. Source: A Reclaiming Futures National Evaluation Report Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 117814 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse TreatmentJuvenile Delinquency PreventionJuvenile Offenders |
Author: Conference Board of Canada Title: The Net Federal Fiscal Benefit of CSC Programming Summary: This report presents the findings of a cost-benefit analysis of seven categories of correctional programming. The seven categories of programming were: violence prevention, family violence, substance abuse, sex offender, living skills, education, and employment. The cost-benefit analysis found that most correctional program areas provide a positive fiscal net benefit to the Canadian Government. Details: Ottawa: Correctional Service of Canada, 2009. 50p. Source: 2009 No. R-208 Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 116196 Keywords: Correctional Programs (Canada)Cost-Benefit Analysis |
Author: Cathey, Dan Title: Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court DWI-Drug Court Cost Study Summary: This study provides a review of the cost of the DWI-Drug Court program in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. The study reviews findings and measures from an analysis of the cost and program data, for example: unit cost estimates and personnel costs. Mean unit cost measures such as total program cost, cost per client day, and cost per disposition are presented. Personnel cost analyses includes the ratio of personnel costs to total costs. The study also compares current and constant dollar expenditures. Details: Albuquerque, NM: New Mexico Sentencing Commission, 2009. 24p. Source: Prepared for Local Government Division, Department of Finance Administration, State of New Mexico, and the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 117712 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (New Mexico) |
Author: Golden, Megan Title: Cost-Benefit Analysis Summary: As part of the Advancement Project's effort to develop a comprehensive gang violence reduction strategy for the City of Los Angeles, the Vera Institute of Justice analyzed the costs of gang violence to government and potential savings that can result from investing in programs that have been shown empirically to reduce gang crime. This memo presents the results of that analysis. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2009. 35p. Source: Funding Analysis Cluster Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118311 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CrimeGangsViolent Crime |
Author: Belfield, Clive R. Title: High School Dropouts and the Economic Losses from Juvenile Crime in California Summary: This paper estimates the economic loss from juvenile crime associated with not completing high school before age 18. Using results from three separate studies and applying their results for California, it finds the annual juvenile crime loss associated with high school dropouts at $1.1 billion. Finally, it compares the losses from juvenile crime with the costs of improving the education system and calculates that savings in juvenile crime along will offset approximately 16% of the costs of providing these interventions. Details: Santa Barbara, CA: Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2009. 55p. Source: California Dropout Research Project Report #16 Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 116680 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CrimeEducationHigh School DropoutsJuvenile Crime |
Author: Jones, Damon Title: The Economic Return on PCCD's Investment in Research-Based Programs: A Cost-Benefit Assessment of Delinquency Prevention in Pennsylvania Summary: Recently, economists and policy researchers have begun to conduct cost-benefit analyses of prevention and intervention efforts to determine whether the potential benefits of a variety of strategies justify the funds necessary to implement them. This report examines the return-on-investment for seven research-based programs that are in widespread use through Pennsylvania. Using conservative and widely-accepted methodology, the study determines that these programs not only pay for themselves, but represent a potential $317 milion return to the Commonwealth in terms of reduced corrections costs, welfare and social services burden, drug and mental health treatment, and increased employment and tax revenue. Details: University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University, Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development, 2008. 48p. Source: Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118355 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisJuvenile Delinquency Prevention (Pennsylvania)Juvenile Justice ProgramsTreatment Programs |
Author: Johnson, Paul Title: Cost Benefit Analysis of the FCTC Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products Summary: Illicit trade in tobacco products is a serious global problem. It contributes to high mortality from smoking-related diseases, lost tax revenue ($40.5 billion globally) and growing organized crime. The current draft of the FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, World Health Organization) protocol proposes a number of measures -- such as tighter control of the supply chain, enforcement and international cooperation -- which are expected to reduce the size of illicit trade globally. This report assesses the likely costs and benefits of such action from a U.K. perspective. In line with standard practice it looks at the costs of regulation to industry and government, the likely impact of the regulation on behavior and benefits which that may bring. Details: London: ASH (Action on Smoking and Health), 2010. 58p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 118542 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisIllegal TobaccoIllegal TradeOrganized Crime |
Author: Bazos, Audrey Title: Correctional Education as a Crime Control Program Summary: This study compares the cost-effectiveness of two crime control methods - educating prisoners and expanding prisons. One million dollars spent on correctional education prevents about 600 crimes, while that same money invested in incarceration prevents 350 crimes. Correctional education is almost twice as cost-effective as a crime control policy. Additionally, correctional education may actually create long-run net cost savings. Inmates who participate in education programs are less likely to return to prison. For each re-incarceration prevented by education, states save about $20,000. One million dollars invested in education would prevent 26 re-incarcerations, for net future savings of $600,000. Details: Los Angeles: UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research, Department of Policy Studies, 2004. 33p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2004 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 119115 Keywords: Correctional EducationCorrectional ProgramsCost-Benefit AnalysisRecidivism |
Author: Scotland. Community Justice Services Title: Review of the Glasgow & Fife Drug Courts: Report Summary: This review evaluates the impact and effectiveness, including cost effectiveness, of the Glasgow and Fife Drug Courts. This will inform future policy and funding regarding drug courts in Scotland. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Government, 2009. 18p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 119253 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Scotland)Drug OffendersRecidivismRehabilitation |
Author: Western Australia. Office of the Auditor General Title: Performance Examination: The Juvenile Justice System: Dealing With Young People Under the Young Offenders Act 1994. Summary: The Young Offenders Act 1994 and its later amendments set out how the Western Australian government expects the justice system will deal with young people who have come into contact with the law. The Act recognizes that there should be special provisions for the fair treatment of young people. For this reason, the Act requires police to consider, under suitable circumstances, directing young people away from courts, by using cautions and referrals to juvenile justice teams. The Act also requires police to use detention on remand as a last resort, by releasing the young persons on bail under the supervision of a suitable responsible adult. After a good start and concerted efforts to implement the Act in its early years, the critical strategies have started to lose momentum. This examination found that in recent years, fewer young people who have come into contact with police have been kept out of the court system, and this cannot be fully explained by trends in juvenile crime. Police referrals to juvenile justice teams have also been on the decline, along with the use of cautions. A supporting paper presents a cost savings to the Western Australian Government of pre-sentencing direction measures - police cautions; referrals to juvenile justice teams by the police; referrals to juvenile justice teams by the Children's Court; and court conferences. Details: Perth: Auditor General, 2008. 54p., 76p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 117637 Keywords: Alternatives to Incarceration, JuvenilesCost-Benefit AnalysisJuvenile DetentionJuvenile Justice Systems (Western Australia)Juvenile Offenders |
Author: Asquith, Nicole Title: Review and Evaluation of the Officer Next Door Program Summary: This report assesses and evaluates the criminal justice and business case for the Officer Next Door(OND) program. Since its establishment in 1998, the OND program has sought to provide Housing Tasmania residents with a reassurance policing approach based on early intervention in criminal and anti-social behavior on Housing Tasmania Broadacre Estates. The primary objects of this research were four-fold: 1) What are the preceived goals of the Office Next Door program for both Housing Tasmania and Tasmania Police?; 2) What are the expectations and obligations of Officers Next Door?; 3) What are the social and criminal jsutice outcomes for Housing Tasmania residents?; and 4) Does the program represent value for money for Housing Tasmania in managing anti-social behavor in and around public housing in Tasmania? Details: Hobart, Tasmania: Housing Tasmania and Tasmania Police, 2009. 125p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 118673 Keywords: Anti-Social Behavior (Tasmania)Community PolicingCost-Benefit AnalysisPublic Housing (Tasmania)Reassurance Policing |
Author: Drake, E.K. Title: Increased Earned Release From Prison: Impact of a 2003 Law on Recidivism and Crime Cost, Revised Summary: The 2003 Washington State Legislature passed ESSB 5990, which increased “earned early release time” for certain types of offenders. The bill authorized the Washington State Department of Corrections to release certain eligible offenders earlier if they have demonstrated good behavior in prison. This report presents an evaluation of the effect of the 2003 law. Ooverall recidivism findings remain consistent with those in the original November 2008 report; the cost-benefit analysis for this revised version has been strengthened and the study found that the law generates benefits of $1.88 per dollar of cost. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2009. 15p. Source: Internet Resource; Document No. 09-04-1201 Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 114903 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisEarly ReleaseEarned ReleaseRecidivism |
Author: Willison, Janeen Buck Title: Evaluation of the Ridge House Residential Program: Final Report Summary: The Ridge House is a faith-based transitional housing program operating in Reno, Nevada, that provides prisoner reentry services to men and women leaving prison. The evaluation: (1) documents the logic and operations of the program; the barriers to and facilitators of successful operations; and whether program outcomes were achieved; (2) assesses the impacts of the program in reducing recidivism and improving employment, housing, and drug use outcomes of participants compared to a parolee comparison group; and (3) provides a cost-benefit analysis. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2010. 92p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 119367 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisParoleParoleesRecidivismRehabilitation |
Author: McCoard, Shirley Title: Process Evaluation of the Drug Treatment and Testing Orders II (DTTO II) Pilots Summary: Drug Treatment and Testing Orders II (DTTO IIs) were introduced on a pilot basis in the Lothian and Borders Community Justice Authority Area in June 2008. The purpose of the DTTO II is to make Drug Treatment and Testing Orders available to lower tariff offenders earlier in their criminal careers, when the damage done to themselves, their families and their communities, as a consequence of their drug misuse, is less extensive. This report presents the findings of a process evaluation of the DTTO II pilot, which was carried out concurrently with the early operation of the schemes. The evaluation focussed primarily on the processes involved in setting up and running the scheme, but also provides some early indication of the likely impact and success of DTTO IIs. A cost exercise was also carried out to provide estimated costs for rolling out DTTO IIs on a national basis. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Government Social Research, 2010. 57p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 119425 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug OffendersDrug TestingDrug Treatment (Scotland) |
Author: Mackin, Juliette R. Title: Harford County District Court Adult Drug Court: Outcome and Cost Evaluation Summary: This report presents the findings of a cost and outcome study of the Harford County District Court Adult Drug Court (HCADC) program which operates in the State of Maryland. The report includes the cost of the program and the outcomes of participants as compared to a sample of similar individuals who received traditional court processing. There are three key policy questions that are of interest to program practitioners, researchers and policymakers that this evaluation was designed to answer; 1) Do drug treatment court programs reduce recidivism? ; 2) Do drug treatment court programs reduce drug-related re-arrests? and 3). Do drug treatment court programs produce cost savings? Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2008. 47p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 13, 2010 at: http://http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Harford_County_Outcome_and_Cost_Evaluation_0408.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Harford_County_Outcome_and_Cost_Evaluation_0408.pdf Shelf Number: 117718 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug CourtsDrug Offenders |
Author: Jones, Anwen Title: The Effectiveness of Schemes to Enable Households at Risk of Domestic Violence to Stay in Their Own Homes: Research Report Summary: A Sanctuary Scheme is a multi-agency victim centred initiative which aims to enable households at risk of violence to remain safely in their own homes by installing a 'Sanctuary' in the home and through the provision of support to the household. This evaluation was carried out in 2009/10 and involved interviews with national stakeholders, local case studies (interviews with service providers, support providers, local stakeholders, and service users), and a cost-benefit analysis. It shows that overall Sanctuary Schemes were thought to have been successful in their main aim of providing a safe alternative for households at risk of domestic violence, and preventing the disruption associated with homelessness. It also highlights that there are different types of installation and security measures and also variation in the way schemes operate post installation. Nevertheless, respondents in all areas reported similar outcomes and, for the most part, service users reported positive experiences. Details: West Yorkshire, UK: Communities and Local Government Publications, 2010. 147p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 28, 2010 at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/1697772.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/1697772.pdf Shelf Number: 119692 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDomestic ViolenceFamly ViolenceHousingIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Aos, Steve Title: WSIPP's Benefit-Cost Tool for States: Examining Policy Options in Sentencing and Corrections Summary: Can knowledge about “what works” to reduce crime be used to help states achieve a win-win outcome of lower crime and lower taxpayer spending? The Washington State Institute for Public Policy has constructed an analytical tool for the Washington legislature to help identify evidence-based sentencing and programming policy options to reduce crime and taxpayer criminal justice costs. This report describes the tool (as of August 2010) in detail and illustrates its use by applying it to two hypothetical sentencing policy options in Washington State. The tool assesses benefits, costs, and risks. Results from the two hypothetical examples point to possible win-win policy combinations. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2010. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Document No. 10-08-1201: Accessed October 8, 2010 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/10-08-1201.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/10-08-1201.pdf Shelf Number: 119882 Keywords: CorrectionsCost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeCriminal Justice PolicyEvidence-Based PoliciesSentencing |
Author: Sample, Lisa L. Title: Final Report for the Evaluation of Nebraska's Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Program Summary: The purpose of the evaluation of the NDCS Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Program was to assess the success of the program in three areas. First, an evaluation of the process was conducted to determine if a reentry program had indeed been created by the NDCS. Second, a cost benefit analysis was conducted to determine the economic savings that a reentry program could promote for the state of Nebraska. Finally, an outcome evaluation was conducted to determine if the reentry program was successful in its goal of reducing recidivism among serious and violent offenders in the state. Below are the key findings of each of these three evaluation components. Process Findings: • Although the selection of program participants has evolved since the inception of the program, NDCS has targeted serious and violent offenders with a high risk of reoffending for pilot program participation. • There was community and agency support for the reentry program from its inception through its implementation. • NDCS had implemented the program components intended for Phase I of the reentry program, including the creation of personalized reentry plans for inmates and the creation of programs to address the mental health, substance abuse, and general living skills needed among the inmates. • The programs offered in Phase I of the reentry program are being delivered to inmates in Phase II thereby providing a seamless delivery of services as originally intended in the program's inception. • Overall, there is much consistency between what inmates perceive they need to live a crime-free life upon leaving prison and the services that are being delivered by NDCS. • Participants generally believed that the services they are receiving from NDCS are beneficial in helping them successfully return to society. • Overall, participants reported a positive attitude toward the services provided in Phase I and II of the reentry program and found the support provided to them by their transition mangers as most effective in bringing about their success in the program. • NDCS has not appeared to establish a graduated sanction or reward system to induce compliance with program requirements, manage problem behaviors, or minimize termination from the program. Cost Benefit Analysis Findings: • Those assigned to the re-entry program account for -96 fewer misdemeanor and -28 fewer felony arrests (per 200 participants) during a 12-month follow-up period. 6 • Based on average process costs incurred by misdemeanor arrests ($6,014) and felony arrests ($21,156), the fewer misdemeanor arrests result in annual outcome cost savings of $577,344 (-96 X $6,014), while fewer felony arrests save $592,375 (-28 X $21,156), or a total annual recidivism-outcome cost savings of $1,169,719 (per 200 participants). • The average annual recidivism-outcome cost savings per reentry program participant is $5,849. • Victimization costs include tangible costs (lost wages, medical and mental health care costs) and intangible costs (pain suffering and lost quality of life). The average estimated cost per violent victimization in the U.S. is $42,098, while the average cost of property victimizations is $1,313. • The annual victimization cost savings due to the lower rates of recidivism of 200 re-entry participants are $884,058 for violent crimes (-21 X $42,098) and $73,528 (-56 X $1,313) for property crimes, or a total societal-victimization cost savings of $957,586. • This equates to an average annual societal-victimization cost savings per reentry program participant of $4,788. • When recidivism-outcome and societal-victimization costs are combined, the total annual savings due to the NDCS Re-Entry Program are $10,637 per reentry participant. Outcome Evaluation • In order to assess outcomes, the 19 reentry participants were compared to a control group of 53 offenders who received “traditional” correctional treatment. • Each offender in both groups was interviewed in the month prior to their release to determine the degree of similarity between the two groups. • Based on this interview data, the two groups were remarkably similar on measures of race, age, prior criminal history, prior drug use and family relationships. • Recidivism was assessed using two measures: whether the offender was arrested during the 6 months following release, and the mean number of arrests during the six-month follow-up period. • 26% of the control group, but only 21% of the reentry participants were rearrested during the 6 month follow-up period. • The mean number of new arrests for reentry participants was .26 compared to .58 for control participants. Details: Omaha, NE: School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2008. 139p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 1, 2011 at: http://www.unomaha.edu/reentry/final_report_2008.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.unomaha.edu/reentry/final_report_2008.pdf Shelf Number: 120647 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisPrisoner ReentryRecidivismRehabilitationViolent Offenders |
Author: Flick, Peg Title: HB10-1352 Savings Analysis Report: Review of Analysis Methodology. Pursuant to 24-33.5-503(1)(u), C.R.S. Summary: In May 2010 the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 10‐1352 which substantially altered Article 18, Title 18 concerning Uniform Controlled Substances. These modifications are described in detail in this report. HB 10‐1352 lowered the penalties for drug use and possession and directs expected savings to the Drug Offender Treatment fund for substance abuse treatment of offenders. HB 10‐1352 also directs the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) to report annually on the savings generated by this bill (24‐33.5‐503(u), C.R.S.). This is the first report since the bill was signed into law. The statutory changes went into effect on August 11, 2010. This report describes the methodology used to analyze any savings and presents preliminary findings from an examination of the first 10 weeks following the bill’s effective date. Details: Colorado Springs, CO: Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice, Office of Research and Statistics, 2011. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 24, 2011 at: http://dcj.state.co.us/ors/pdf/docs/Final%201-14-11%20HB1352%20report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://dcj.state.co.us/ors/pdf/docs/Final%201-14-11%20HB1352%20report.pdf Shelf Number: 120868 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse PolicyDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders (Colorado) |
Author: Henrichson, Christian Title: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Raising the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction in North Carolina Summary: North Carolina is one of two states that process any offense committed by 16- and 17-year-olds in the adult justice system. Vera' Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit worked with the state's Youth Accountability Planning Task Force to assess the costs and benefits of transferring 16- and 17-year-olds charged with misdemeanors and low-level, nonviolent felony offenses to the juvenile justice system. This report presents the results and the methodology of the cost-benefit analysis. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2011. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 24, 2011 at: http://www.vera.org/download?file=3185/CBA-of-Raising-Age-Juvenile-Jurisdiction-NC-final.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.vera.org/download?file=3185/CBA-of-Raising-Age-Juvenile-Jurisdiction-NC-final.pdf Shelf Number: 120877 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisJuvenile CourtsJuvenile LawJuvenile Offenders (North Carolina)Waiver (of Juvenile Court Jurisdiction) |
Author: Lengyel, Thomas E. Title: Spreading the Pain: The Social Cost of Incarcerating Parents Summary: This paper sets out to itemize and estimate the social costs and benefits incurred by the incarceration of parents who have minor children. We do so by assembling and integrating a diverse set of studies addressing the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of social service programs, costof- illness studies of drug and alcohol abuse, cost of crime studies, and a very small set of studies of the costs of incarceration itself. Few authors have previously attempted a comprehensive, societal approach and none have systematically itemized costs and benefits for incarceration. In the first section we examine the definition of social cost and the debate about “external” versus “internal” cost. Based on studies of the social costs of drug abuse and crime we then provide an inventory of the elements of social cost and benefit and motivate per-offender estimates of these amounts for incarcerated drug offenders in New York State. We summarize the total internal and external costs and benefits for the cohort of drug offenders released from New York State prisons during 2005 and compare these costs and benefits with the alternative of community-based drug treatment. In a separate, supporting study (Ziebert 2006) we examine the literature that attempts to relate parental incarceration to various effects in their children. Details: New York: Alliance for Children and Families, Department of Research & Evaluation Services, 2006. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Draft Report: Accessed March 11, 2011 at: http://www.fcnetwork.org/reading/lengyel-spreading-the-pain.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://www.fcnetwork.org/reading/lengyel-spreading-the-pain.pdf Shelf Number: 120979 Keywords: Children of PrisonersCost-Benefit Analysis |
Author: Roberts, Colin H. Title: Continuing to Display Effectiveness: An Evaluation Report on Three Years of the IRIS Project Summary: This research report is a follow-up to earlier reports on the progress of and outcomes from the IRIS project. The first was a much longer reported completed in September 2005 (Roberts, 2005) on the first year of the IRIS project, which related to the first twenty offenders on IRIS and a small comparative sample of matched offenders. A second and briefer report which included some additional qualitative and quantitative analysis and which briefly summarised the first report was published in January 2006, entitled Displaying Effectiveness (Roberts, 2006). This report is based on the first, second and third years of the IRIS project and follows the progress of the first thirty five offenders who were given IRIS status. Each offender was followed up for twenty four months each after they commenced on IRIS, to identify their re-offending, compliance with court orders and their time at liberty in the 24 month period. It also includes an analysis of the estimated costs of IRIS in these first three years of operation and estimates its probable cost-benefits in respect of these thirty five prolific offenders. Details: Oxford, UK: Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford, 2007. 39p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 120931 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisProlific Offenders (U.K.)RecidivismRepeat Offenders |
Author: Dossetor, Kym Title: Cost-Benefit Analysis and Its Application to Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Research Summary: Cost-benefit analysis is one of a number of ways of measuring the impact and effectiveness of crime prevention programs and has been used by governments in Australia and elsewhere to determine the utility of a given program or intervention. In essence, cost-benefit analysis is an analytical tool that compares the total costs of an intervention or program against its total expected benefits; it assists in answering the question ‘has the money been well spent?’. Application of cost-benefit analysis within the criminal justice system and the crime prevention field is increasingly being embraced, although to date, most work has been undertaken in the United Kingdom and the United States. By comparison, relatively few cost-benefit analyses have been completed within Australia in these fields. In this report, a description is provided of when and how such analyses of crime prevention programs have been used and a number of cost-benefit analyses are reviewed, using a tool developed to assess the merit of cost-benefit analysis. It is noteworthy that a number of the programs that have shown a reduction in the risk of crime have not been developed by criminologists or law enforcement personnel, nor has crime prevention been the primary objective. Rather, a crime prevention effect has occurred as part of a suite of positive outcomes. For policymakers, cost-benefit analysis can be an important tool that informs policy decisions around program continuation, expansion or cessation. For practitioners, knowledge that programs are achieving their intended goals can assist program managers in future program development and may help to justify program expenditure. This report improves our understanding of the application of cost-benefit analysis and provides ways in which to make this important analytical tool more responsive and effective, which will help to ensure sustained investment in quality crime justice and crime prevention programs. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2011. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Technical and Background Paper No. 42: Accessed March 18, 2011 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/A/4/F/%7BA4FA76DE-535E-48C1-9E60-4CF3F878FD8D%7Dtbp042.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/A/4/F/%7BA4FA76DE-535E-48C1-9E60-4CF3F878FD8D%7Dtbp042.pdf Shelf Number: 121062 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCrime Prevention |
Author: Dillane, Jennifer Title: Evaluation of the Dundee Families Project: Final Report Summary: The Dundee Family Project was established with Urban Programme funding to assist families who are homeless or at severe risk of homelessness as a result of ‘antisocial behaviour’. Previous ways of tackling this problem were seen as expensive and ineffective. The Project is run by NCH Action for Children Scotland in partnership with Dundee Council Housing and Social Work Departments. The Project works with families deemed to have exhibited a range of anti-social behaviour, with the aim of enabling them to avoid eviction or be restored to satisfactory tenancy arrangements. This also helps to prevent the breakdown of vulnerable families, and to re-unite separated families. The Project follows a systemic approach to family difficulties and offers a range of services through individual and couple counselling, family support and group work. The service makes available support 24-hours a day all year. Staff run after-school and young persons’ group activities, while groups for adults have covered cookery, parenting skills, anger management and tenancy issues. Users access the service in 3 main ways: i. by residence in a ‘core block’ comprising accommodation for 3-4 families ii. in dispersed tenancies, iii. on an outreach basis. The staff currently consists of the following: Project Manager, 1 Depute, 7 Social Care Workers, 4 Relief Social Care Workers, 1 Administrative Assistant, and 1 Domestic. The Project established an admissions panel, which assesses referrals and reviews cases. The membership includes representatives from the Project, NCH and Dundee City Council Housing and Social Work. A Project Advisory Group was also set up to provide guidance and feedback from service users and local residents. This study of the Dundee Families Project was intended to evaluate the processes, outcomes and costs of the Project, using primarily qualitative methods. Data were gathered from case records, adult and child service users, Project staff, and key stakeholders. In addition, due to the initial controversial response by the media and local people, the views of residents in the immediate vicinity of the Project were also obtained. Finally, a partial cost benefit analysis of the Project was conducted. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Stationary Office, 2001. 129p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2011 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/158814/0043122.pdf Year: 2001 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/158814/0043122.pdf Shelf Number: 121148 Keywords: Antisocial Behavior (Scotland)Cost-Benefit AnalysisFamiliesHomelessnessHousing |
Author: Oklahoma. Department of Corrections Title: Using Substances to Treat Alcoholism Summary: Despite years of continuing research and development of pharmaceutical approaches to reduce, control, and perhaps eliminate alcoholism and its impact on criminal justice, a gap remains between the science and the implementation. This paper reviews the highly positive cost-benefit of the approaches, some of the more recent advances and findings in pharmaceuticals and genetics, new ideas on supplying, monitoring, and delivering the remedies, and the ethical considerations that must be weighed in their application. Details: Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma Department of Corrections, 2009. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: DOC White Paper: Accessed April 27, 2011 at: http://www.doc.state.ok.us/adminservices/ea/Alcoholism_White_Paper.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.doc.state.ok.us/adminservices/ea/Alcoholism_White_Paper.pdf Shelf Number: 121540 Keywords: Alcohol AbuseAlcohol Related Crime, DisorderCost-Benefit Analysis |
Author: Downey, P. Mitchell Title: A Bayesian Meta-Analysis of Drug Court Cost-Effectiveness Summary: In recent years, meta-analysis has been widely adopted as a means of informing sound policy decisions. A particularly successful application of meta-analysis has been in the evaluation of the effectiveness of new medical interventions, particularly the results of new drug trials. The goal of this type of study is to draw a general conclusion from the results of many clinical trials of the same drug which often produce very different results to determine whether the drug is safe enough and ffective enough to be made available to the public. Over the past two decades, meta-analysis has become increasingly common in the study of programs and policies designed to reduce crime. Over the last decade, researchers have begun to combine meta-analyses with cost-benefit analysis. Meta-analysis answers the question: does the intervention produce positive outcomes? Cost-benefit analysis moves beyond this question to ask whether an effective intervention creates enough of a benefit to justify the cost. Thus, the combined meta-analysis and cost-benefit analysis attempt to answer the question: What is the most cost-effective way to increase public safety? DCPI has developed an empirical model that combines meta-analysis and cost-benefit analysis to help answer this question. The DCPI model uses Bayesian methods to test whether the expected outcomes of implementing a policy or combination of policies in Washington, D.C., is worth the investment. The DCPI model will incorporate both the costs of delivering services in Washington, D.C., and the benefits of those services to District citizens. In particular, the DCPI model will incorporate benefits to D.C. citizens from reductions in the risk of becoming a victim of crime. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate how Bayesian statistics can be used in conjunction with meta cost-benefit analysis. To do this, we use data from 86 drug court evaluations previously coded for metaanalysis (Shaffer 2009). We then follow Drake, Aos and Miller (2009) in the development of estimates of the Washington, DC specific costs, recidivism rates and criminal justice system resource utilization. The calculation of the price of crime to victims is drawn from Roman (2009). In this paper, we first describe a brief history of the use of a combined cost-benefit and meta-analytic model. We then discuss the advantages of using Bayesian statistics, rather than traditional methods, for applied policy research. Next, we apply this method to a practical policy problem: should the District of Columbia implement a drug court? We chose drug courts as our beta test of the model because there have been several prior meta-analyses of drug courts which allows us to assess the reliability of our effect size estimates. We discuss the Bayesian methods used in this analysis and our preliminary findings. We conclude with a discussion of how differences between our results and prior results should be interpreted. We note that the goal of this research is to validate the model, in particular to compare effect sizes generated here with effect sizes generated by other authors using the same data. In this model iteration, only the prices of treating District of Columbia residents are drawn from DC data. Thus, the findings in this paper should not be interpreted as an evaluation of SCDIP. Future research will re-populate these models using DC-specific data which will allow us to estimate the optimal size and composition of the current drug court - the Superior Court Drug Intervention Program (SCDIP). Ultimately, the model can be used to make evidence-based decisions when policymakers are confronted with difficult choices between successful programs when the resources to fund those programs are limited. Details: Washington, DC: District of Columbia Crime Policing Institute, Urban Institute, 2010. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2011 at: http://www.dccrimepolicy.org/costbenefitanalysis/images/12-10-Bayesian-Cost-Benefit-Drug-Court_2.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.dccrimepolicy.org/costbenefitanalysis/images/12-10-Bayesian-Cost-Benefit-Drug-Court_2.pdf Shelf Number: 121586 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCriminal Justice PolicyDrug Courts |
Author: Barbarino, Alessandro Title: The Incapacitation Effect of Incarceration: Evidence From Several Italian Collective Pardons Summary: We estimate the “incapacitation effect” on crime using variation in Italian prison population driven by eight collective pardons passed between 1962 and 1995. The prison releases are sudden — within one day —, very large — up to 35 percent of the entire prison population — and happen nationwide. Exploiting this quasi-natural experiment we break the simultaneity of crime and prisoners as in Levitt (1996) and, in addition, use the national character of the pardons to separately identify incapacitation from changes in deterrence. The elasticity of total crime with respect to incapacitation is -15 percent. A cost-benefit analysis suggests that Italy’s prison population is below its optimal level: the estimated marginal social cost of crime is more than two times the cost of incarceration. Details: Unpublished Paper, 2011. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 5, 2011 at: http://www.carloalberto.org/people/mastrobuoni/doc/ReducedPardonJan2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Italy URL: http://www.carloalberto.org/people/mastrobuoni/doc/ReducedPardonJan2011.pdf Shelf Number: 121647 Keywords: AmnestyCost-Benefit AnalysisDeterrenceImprisonmentPardons |
Author: Mueller, John Title: Terror, Security, and Money: Balancing the Risks, Benefits, and Costs of Homeland Security Summary: The cumulative increase in expenditures on US domestic homeland security over the decade since 9/11 exceeds one trillion dollars. It is clearly time to examine these massive expenditures applying risk assessment and cost-benefit approaches that have been standard for decades. Thus far, officials do not seem to have done so and have engaged in various forms of probability neglect by focusing on worst case scenarios; adding, rather than multiplying, the probabilities; assessing relative, rather than absolute, risk; and inflating terrorist capacities and the importance of potential terrorist targets. We find that enhanced expenditures have been excessive: to be deemed cost-effective in analyses that substantially bias the consideration toward the opposite conclusion, they would have to deter, prevent, foil, or protect against 1,667 otherwise successful Times-Square type attacks per year, or more than four per day. Although there are emotional and political pressures on the terrorism issue, this does not relieve politicians and bureaucrats of the fundamental responsibility of informing the public of the limited risk that terrorism presents and of seeking to expend funds wisely. Moreover, political concerns may be over-wrought: restrained reaction has often proved to be entirely acceptable politically. Details: Paper Prepared for presentation at the panel, "Terror and the Economy: Which Institutions Help Mitigate the Damage?” at the Annual Convention of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 1, 2011. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2011 at: http://polisci.osu.edu/faculty/jmueller/MID11TSM.PDF Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://polisci.osu.edu/faculty/jmueller/MID11TSM.PDF Shelf Number: 121664 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisHomeland SecurityRisk AssessmentTerrorism |
Author: Drake, Elizabeth Title: Washington State Juvenile Court Funding: Applying Research in a Public Policy Setting Summary: During the last 15 years, the Washington State Legislature has taken a number of steps to develop an “evidence-based” juvenile justice system. The central concept has been to identify and implement strategies shown — through rigorous research — to reduce crime cost-effectively. In 2009, the Legislature turned its attention to the mechanism through which Washington’s 33 juvenile courts receive state dollars. That year’s state budget bill directed a committee of stakeholders to develop a new funding formula that emphasizes “evidence-based programs … and disposition alternatives.” The legislation requires state funds for local juvenile courts to be administered as a “block grant.” A block grant is a sum of money distributed to a court with general provisions, resulting in local flexibility in how funds are spent. “Categorical grants,” Washington’s previous mechanism for distributing state funds to juvenile courts, have more restrictive provisions. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (Institute) was directed by the legislation to report to the Legislature and the Office of Financial Management on the administration of the block grant including (1) criteria used to allocate funding, and (2) report on participants in programs subject to the block grant. To provide a context for this report, we first summarize key policy reforms over the past 15 years that have established an emphasis on providing evidence-based programs in Washington’s juvenile justice system. We then discuss the funding formula developed by the committee. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2010. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2011 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/10-12-1201.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/10-12-1201.pdf Shelf Number: 121678 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeEvidence-Based PolicyJuvenile Court (Washington State)Juvenile Justice SystemJuvenile Offenders |
Author: Carey, Shannon M. Title: Oregon Drug Court Cost Study: Statewide Costs and Promising Practices: Final Report Summary: The statewide cost study of Oregon’s adult drug courts was accomplished in a collaboration between NPC Research, the Criminal Justice Commission and the Department of Corrections. The purposes of this statewide evaluation were to answer two critical drug court policy questions: a. Are adult drug courts cost-beneficial? b. What are best practices for Oregon’s drug courts? To determine whether Oregon’s drug court programs were cost beneficial, it was necessary to gather information on program costs and recidivism-related costs. To calculate recidivism-related costs a recidivism study was performed with a comparison group, to determine the relative benefits of drug court compared to traditional court processes. Finally, to determine what practices were best practices for Oregon’s drug courts, a process analysis was performed on the drug courts included in this study. Recidivism in this study was defined as any new arrest (not conviction) that occurs after the date of drug court entry. The recidivism study used a quasi-experimental design with a cohort of all drug court participants who entered the programs during a specified time period and a matched comparison sample of individuals who were arrested for similar, drug court-eligible charges who did not participate in a drug court program. A comparison group was identified from all offenders with drug court-eligible charges from the same time period who did not participate in drug court programs. The drug court participants and comparison individuals were matched by county on age, gender, ethnicity, prior drug charges, prior property charges and prior person or violence charges. The full comparison group selection process is described in the methods section. Both groups were examined through existing administrative databases for a period at least 3 years from the date of drug court entry. For comparison group members, an equivalent "entry date" was calculated by creating an average of the number of days from arrest to drug court entry for participants and adding that mean number of days to the arrest date for comparison group members. The evaluation team utilized the state data sources to determine whether there was a difference in re-arrests, number of days in jail, on probation, on parole and in prison between the drug court and comparison group. The cost approach utilized by NPC Research in the DC-CSET is called Transactional and Institu-tional Cost Analysis (TICA). The TICA approach views an individual’s interaction with publicly funded agencies as a set of transactions (also called events in this document) in which the individual utilizes resources contributed from multiple agencies. Transactions are those points within a system where resources are consumed and/or change hands. In the case of drug courts, when a drug court participant appears in court or has a drug test, resources such as judge time, defense attorney time, court facilities, and urine cups are used. Court appearances and drug tests are transactions. In addition, the TICA approach recognizes that these transactions take place within multiple organizations and institutions that work together to create the program of interest. These organizations and institutions contribute to the cost of each transaction that occurs for program participants. TICA is an intuitively appropriate approach to conducting costs assessment in an environment such as a drug court, which involves complex interactions among multiple taxpayer-funded organizations. For the process analysis, a Web-based survey of each of the adult drug courts that participated in the study assessed a variety of characteristics of drug courts that have been assessed in prior evaluations by NPC. The advantage of a Web-based survey is that it allowed NPC to efficiently collect data on a number of important drug court program elements in all of the drug court sites, rather than using a sampling strategy. Thus, all Oregon adult drug courts that were in existence at the time of the survey are represented in the data, and the statistical power for analysis is maximized. The online tool was developed based on in-depth qualitative data collected in prior research in more than 75 adult drug courts. The information on practices used by each drug court program was examined in relation to program outcomes including graduation rate, recidivism and costs, to determine which practices were significantly related to more positive outcomes. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2011. 105p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 6, 2011 at: http://www.oregon.gov/CJC/docs/ORDC_BJA_Cost_and_Best_Practices_Final_Report_Rerelease_March_2011.pdf?ga=t Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.oregon.gov/CJC/docs/ORDC_BJA_Cost_and_Best_Practices_Final_Report_Rerelease_March_2011.pdf?ga=t Shelf Number: 121984 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Oregon)Recidivism |
Author: Geopolicity Title: The Economics of Piracy: Pirate Ransoms and Livelihoods Off the Coast of Somalia Summary: In 2011, Geopolicity established a global economic model for assessing the costs and benefits of international piracy; adding significantly to the debate on the causes and consequences of piracy. This model provides a comprehensive, independent framework of trend analysis, whilst also highlighting across the ‘Pirate Value Chain’ (PVC) where the greatest rates of return on international counter pirate investment and policy are to be found. The model includes (i) cost-benefit analysis at the individual pirate level, based on existing socioeconomic and market data (ii) the aggregate costs and benefits at the international systems level and (iii) comprehensive data on the resurgence of piracy by functional classification and sovereign jurisdiction; to include trend, comparator and predictive analysis. Further research, based on aggregating all existing secondary data into a common analytical and diagnostic platform, as well as on the ground research in coastal communities is urgently needed, and would provide, for the first time, a strong understanding of the economics of piracy. Details: Road Town, British Virgin Islands: Geopolicity, 2011. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 7, 2011 at: http://www.geopolicity.com/upload/content/pub_1305229189_regular.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Somalia URL: http://www.geopolicity.com/upload/content/pub_1305229189_regular.pdf Shelf Number: 121994 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisEconomics of CrimePirates/PiracyRansoms |
Author: Stapleton, John Title: Making Toronto Safer A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Transitional Housing Supports for Men Leaving Incarceration Summary: In early 2010, the John Howard Society of Toronto commissioned a cost benefit study and analysis of Transitional Housing and supports (THS) for two types of ex-prisoners moving to the community from incarceration. The first group is comprised of homeless ex-prisoners (individuals often charged with petty theft, drug possession, public disturbances and who have no fixed address upon their release from custody. They have partially served their sentence in jail and will serve the remainder of it in the community, under supervision). The latter group is comprised of s810 sexual offenders (Section 810 peace bonds are court orders that enable the police to protect the public by requiring an individual who poses a threat to society to abide by specific conditions for up to one year and can be renewed). This proposition was to calculate the cost savings (if any) associated with the intervention of transitional housing and supports as opposed to their absence. The cost benefit study framed the intervention of THS as a public good and a service to the community as well as the ex-prisoner and assessed the benefit with all public stakeholders in mind. The latest available data was used to conduct the study. John Stapleton (Principal of Open Policy Ontario) in partnerships with Brendon Pooran and Rene Doucet (Chronicle Analytics) completed the study in November 2010. The next step is to file a funding application to the City of Toronto and to explore funding opportunities generally (with a focus on the provincial government) to expand THS. If John Howard Toronto expands the support services and access to housing for those who have been released from correctional facilities, it believes that the recidivism rate (re-offending rate) will decline. Lower recidivism is accepted as an important indicator of community safety. Details: Toronto: John Howard Society of Toronto, 2011. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 18, 2011 at: http://www.johnhowardtor.on.ca/pdfs/FINAL%20MAY%2031%20JohnHowardcomplete.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Canada URL: http://www.johnhowardtor.on.ca/pdfs/FINAL%20MAY%2031%20JohnHowardcomplete.pdf Shelf Number: 122088 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisHomelessnessHousingRecidivismReentry (Canada) |
Author: Anton, Paul A. Title: Benefit-Cost Calculations for Three Adult Drug Courts in Minnesota: A report to the Office of Justice Programs Summary: This paper presents simple benefit-cost calculations for three adult drug courts in Minnesota. These courts, operated in Stearns, Dodge, and Saint Louis counties, have operated since 2001 as an alternative to processing adult drug offenders through criminal courts. The establishment and operations of these courts was supported by more than one million dollars of Federal Byrne Formula Grant funds provided by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) beginning in 2001 and extending through 2005. Our calculations are based on outcomes data provided by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), cost information provided by the counties and OJP, and law enforcement and victim cost information from previous studies. Findings We estimate that the three drug courts generated $5.08 of benefit for every dollar of operating cost. Total benefits for the study period are estimated to be $6.8 million. Total costs for the study period were approximately $1.3 million. Benefits are generated from three sources: (1) saved costs of processing and incarcerating drug court participants for their initial offenses, (2) reduced law enforcement cost and crime victim costs from reduced crimes committed by drug court participants after completing the program, and (3) reduced public costs from fewer subsequent convictions for a variety of crimes. Drug court costs include all aspects of operations including personnel costs, court costs, equipment, supplies and outside consultants. Details: St. Paul, MN: Wilder Research, 2007. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 26, 2011 at: http://www.wilder.org/download.0.html?report=1997 Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.wilder.org/download.0.html?report=1997 Shelf Number: 122161 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Minnesota)Drug Offenders |
Author: Johnson, Rucker Title: How Much Crime Reduction Does the Marginal Prisoner Buy? Summary: We present new evidence on the effect of aggregate changes in incarceration on changes in crime that accounts for the potential simultaneous relationship between incarceration and crime. Our principal innovation is that we develop an instrument for future changes in incarceration rates based on the theoretically predicted dynamic adjustment path of the aggregate incarceration rate in response to a shock (from whatever source) to prison entrance or exit transition probabilities. Given that incarceration rates adjust to permanent changes in behavior with a dynamic lag (given that only a fraction of offenders are apprehended in any one period), one can identify variation in incarceration that is not contaminated by contemporary changes in criminal behavior. We isolate this variation and use it to tease out the causal effect of incarceration on crime. Using state level data for the United States covering the period from 1978 to 2004, we find crime-prison elasticities that are considerably larger than those implied by OLS estimates. For the entire time period, we find average crime-prison effects with implied elasticities of between -0.06 and -0.11 for violent crime and between -0.15 and -0.21 for property crime. We also present results for two sub-periods of our panel: 1978 to 1990 and 1991 to 2004. Our IV estimates for the earlier time period suggest much larger crime-prison effects, with elasticity estimates consistent with those presented in Levitt (1996) who analyzes a similar time period yet with an entirely different identification strategy. For the latter time period, however, the effects of changes in prison on crime are much smaller. Our results indicate that recent increases in incarceration have generated much less bang-per-buck in terms of crime reduction. Details: Berkeley, CA: Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley, 2010. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 16, 2011 at: http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~ruckerj/johnson_raphael_crimeincarcJLE.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~ruckerj/johnson_raphael_crimeincarcJLE.pdf Shelf Number: 122415 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCrime PreventionCrime ReductionDeterrenceImprisonment (U.S.) |
Author: Nelson, Julianne Title: Competition in Corrections: Comparing Public and Private Sector Operations Summary: On July 21, 1997, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) announced that Wackenhut Corrections Corporation (now The GEO Group) had won the competition for a 10-year contract to manage a new federal correctional facility. Located in Taft, California, the new facility — known as Taft Correctional Institution (TCI) — had been designed and built by the federal government to house low-and minimum-security inmates. In 2005, the CNA Corporation (CNAC) was asked to participate in the task of evaluating the first five years of this contract. The following report compares the cost of the TCI contract with the cost of operating the facility “in-house” during this period. A separate report prepared by the BOP analyzes the quality of contractor performance at Taft. A report prepared by Abt Associates reviews both the cost and quality of the contract services at this institution. CNAC analysis indicates that the observed cost of the TCI contract was virtually identical to the estimated cost of in-house operation by government employees — based on practices observed at similar BOP facilities. Using a cost model based on Circular A-76 guidelines and information available at the beginning of the TCI contract, we found that our initial estimate of the expected in-house cost of operating the facility was lower than the expected cost of the management contract. Using this model with actual (rather than expected) wage rates, inflation rates, and inmate population levels, we found that: • Observed contract costs were generally higher than our initial estimates of what the BOP would have spent to operate TCI itself (i.e., the costs avoided through private sector management of the facility). • Observed contract per diem costs exceeded expected contract costs, largely due to award fee payments and reimbursements for wage increases mandated by Service Contract Act revisions. Using observed expenditures reported at TCI and three similar BOP facilities, we found that: • Observed per diem costs with contractor management were not substantially different from observed facility-level per diem costs at BOP comparison sites. • Observed per diem costs with contractor management were slightly lower than observed per diem avoidable costs at BOP facilities during the first two years of fullscale operations. • In the last two years of the period under review, observed per diem contract costs were similar to observed per diem avoidable costs at comparable federal facilities once allowances were made for changes in the mix of security levels in the inmate population. In short, the cost of routine contract operations was very similar at TCI and the three comparable government facilities. It was also generally higher than our initial estimates of what it would have cost the BOP to run TCI once it was fully activated. Details: Alexandria, VA: CNA Corporation, 2005. 148p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2011 at: http://www.bop.gov/news/research_projects/published_reports/pub_vs_priv/cnanelson.pdf Year: 2005 Country: United States URL: http://www.bop.gov/news/research_projects/published_reports/pub_vs_priv/cnanelson.pdf Shelf Number: 122439 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationCost-Benefit AnalysisPrivate Prisons (U.S.)Privatization |
Author: Savona, Ernesto U. Title: Cost Benefit Analysis of Transparency Requirements in the Company/Corporate Field and Banking Sector Relevant for the Fight Against Money Laundering and Other Financial Crime Summary: The aims of the study were: 1. To analyse the cost-benefits from the introduction at the EU level of an up-front and ongoing disclosure system in the company/corporate field (from now on, MODEL 1) made up of the following five transparency requirements relevant for the fight against money laundering and other financial crime: •a statutory duty on the registered owner of a shareholding of 10% or more of the issued capital of a private or public unlisted company to confirm to the company their beneficial ownership of such shares or, if not, details of whom they believe the beneficial owner (BO) to be; •a statutory duty on beneficial but not registered owners of a shareholding of 10% or more to notify the company of such beneficial ownership and, for registered and beneficial owners of 10% or more, any changes in details as and when they occur; •a statutory duty on the company to file such data with a central registry within a short period; •the making such information available on-line to LEAs along with actual and historic data on company shareholders and their managers/directors; •making such data available to the public. 2. To highlight: •what EU measures may be appropriate to address those who aid and abet/facilitate corporate money laundering/terrorist financing arrangements, especially professional service providers, to contribute to more effective deterrence or (if not) suitable punishment, and •any issues and approaches revealed in the study likely to help improve the regulation of charities, trusts, associations and foundations with regard to AML and CFT. Details: Milano, Italy: Transcrime - Joint Research Centre on Transnational Crime, 2007. 691p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 23, 2011 at: http://transcrime.cs.unitn.it/tc/fso/pubblicazioni/AP/CBA-Study_Final_Report_revised_version.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Europe URL: http://transcrime.cs.unitn.it/tc/fso/pubblicazioni/AP/CBA-Study_Final_Report_revised_version.pdf Shelf Number: 122427 Keywords: BankingCost-Benefit AnalysisFinancial CrimesMoney Laundering |
Author: Barnardo's Title: An Assessment of the Potential Savings from Barnardo's Interventions for Young People Who Have Been Sexually Exploited Summary: This report presents the findings from research undertaken by Pro Bono Economics on behalf of Barnardo’s into the potential savings from Barnardo’s interventions for young people who have been sexually exploited. The research sought to determine the effectiveness of Barnardo’s interventions in reducing the risk of sexual exploitation and associated risk factors, and estimated the fiscal rate of return of such interventions – that is, the saving to the taxpayer for every pound spent by Barnardo’s on the intervention. Statistical methods were employed to measure the effect of Barnardo’s interventions on the severity of sexual exploitation and its associated risk factors. The cost of sexual exploitation was estimated for varying degrees of severity using a range of secondary sources. These estimates were then combined to calculate the gross financial benefit of the intervention, and compared to the cost of the intervention to give an overall fiscal rate of return. Two models are presented – one which assumes that the level of risk remains unchanged in the absence of the intervention, and one which provides an estimate of how the level of risk changes in the absence of an intervention. Both highlight that the benefits to the taxpayer of Barnardo's interventions for young people who have been sexually exploited substantially outweigh the costs, with a potential saving of either £6 or £12 for every £1 spent depending on the assumptions made, in addition to a substantial (non-costed) reduction in the risk of sexual exploitation. Details: London: Barnardo's, 2011. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2011 at: http://www.barnardos.org.uk/an_assessment_of_the_potential_savings_from_barnardo_s_interventions_for_young_people_who_have_been_sexually_exploited_-_full_research_report__final_.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.barnardos.org.uk/an_assessment_of_the_potential_savings_from_barnardo_s_interventions_for_young_people_who_have_been_sexually_exploited_-_full_research_report__final_.pdf Shelf Number: 122912 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisJuvenile ProstitutionRunawaysSexual Exploitation (U.K.) |
Author: Rosenberg, Jennifer Title: Balanced Justice: Cost-Benefit Analysis and Criminal Justice Policy Summary: Crime and justice are not usually associated with cost-benefit analysis. But they should be. A growing body of research shows how powerful the use of economic analysis can be when applied to criminal justice policy. Public safety can be prioritized and even improved at a lower cost than traditional incarceration, using techniques like behavioral therapy for young offenders, intensive supervision, or a new iteration of a drug court. In an economic downturn, when state funding is scarce and legislatures are on the lookout for even the smallest of budget cuts, what could be more compelling than better results with a smaller price tag? Cost-benefit analysis can give state and federal lawmakers a more targeted way to identify and adopt sentencing structures and preventative programs that will save billions of taxpayer dollars without compromising public safety. Around the country, research findings are being compiled and analyzed to identify policies that achieve desired outcomes and offer taxpayers high rates of return on their investments. In many cases, credible research shows that the administrative costs of implementing a new program can be dwarfed by future benefits. These benefits spring from not only reductions in crime and avoided sentencing costs, but also increased lifetime earnings and health outcomes. In these and other ways, cost-benefit analysis injects data-driven methods and evidence-based practices into criminal justice policymaking. The outcome: comprehensive, line-item comparisons of criminal justice policy alternatives. Once each policy or program option is subjected to cost-benefit analysis, the results are presented side-by-side allowing lawmakers to select that which promises to generate the greatest net benefits. Cost-benefit analysis can be applied to a range of programs, from sentencing and parole guidelines, to family therapy programs targeting “at risk” youth. There are also challenges to utilizing cost-benefit analysis, including the need for additional research and funding for that research. Yet momentum is building and decisionmakers throughout the justice system — from sentencing boards, to judges, to prosecutors, to legislators—are seeing the fiscal savings and public safety improvements that cost-benefit analysis can provide. Details: New York: Institute for Policy Integrity, New York University School of Law, 2011. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief No. 11: Accessed October 21, 2011 at: http://policyintegrity.org/files/publications/Balanced_Justice.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://policyintegrity.org/files/publications/Balanced_Justice.pdf Shelf Number: 123080 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeCriminal Justice Policy |
Author: Mackin, Juliette R. Title: Montgomery County Adult Drug Court Program Outcome and Cost Evaluation Summary: The Montgomery County Adult Drug Court (MCADC) is located in Rockville, the county seat. The county has a population of 950,680, based on the 2008 Census estimate. The MCADC began serving participants in 2004. As of June 2009, 121 participants have been served. The MCADC serves nonviolent adult offenders with substance abuse problems in need of intensive treatment and monitoring services. The MCADC is a post-plea, postconviction program. Upon entry into the program, participants are placed on 2 to 3 years of probation, although once a participant successfully completes the program (on average after 18 months), her/his probation is terminated successfully. The program provides services aimed at rehabilitation, including substance abuse treatment provided by Maryland’s Department of Health and Human Services community-based substance abuse treatment programs. The MCADC program has three phases and takes a minimum of 16 months to complete. For the 76 drug court participants included in this study who had since exited the program, either successfully or unsuccessfully, the average number of days in the program was 512 (almost 17 months). Graduates spent an average of 525 days in the program (just over 17 months), whereas non-graduates spent an average of 487 days in the program (approximately 16 months). Throughout the program, participants attend drug court hearings evaluating their progress, supervision meetings with a case manager, and group and individual counseling sessions. The pro-gram requires that the individuals submit to drug testing, and uses incentives and sanctions to encourage positive behaviors. In order to graduate from the MCADC program, participants must satisfy program requirements for all three phases and complete an aftercare plan. In addition, they must meet all probation requirements, complete community service and other program assignments, have 9 months clean and sober, be recommended for graduation from the drug court team, and approved by the Judge. Three key policy questions of interest to program practitioners, researchers, and policymakers about drug courts were addressed in this study. 1. Do ADC Participants Reduce their Substance Abuse During Program Participation? 2. Do ADC Participants Have Reduced Re-Arrest Rates After Program Entry? 3. Does the ADC Result in Savings of Taxpayer Dollars? Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2010. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 19, 2011 at: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Montgomery_Circuit_Outcome_Cost_0110.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Montgomery_Circuit_Outcome_Cost_0110.pdf Shelf Number: 123399 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug CourtsDrug OffendersDrug TreatmentProblem-Solving Courts (Maryland)RecidivismSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Malloch, Margaret Title: Interventions for Drug Users in the Criminal Justice System: Scottish Review Summary: The purpose of this review was to examine the available research evidence on criminal justice interventions in Scotland in terms of „effectiveness‟, (measured by rates of reconviction/reoffending, and reductions in drug use) and costs. The review also recognises the current policy emphasis on „recovery‟, which requires a wider acknowledgement of the possible mechanisms for measuring „success‟ and a wider vision for the process of recovery itself. The review was undertaken between August and November 2010. This review found that there are a number of difficulties in determining effectiveness in the area of drug interventions - sample numbers within evaluations are often small, the nature of interventions make it difficult to identify control groups and therefore to isolate factors making an impact or indeed, to measure the overall impact of the intervention itself; change often comes from a number of different factors; different methods are often used to measure different outcomes over different periods of time making it impossible to compare effectiveness across interventions. The existence of major gaps in the evidence base for drug interventions is acknowledged internationally. In spite of these limitations, some broad observations can be made from the evidence currently available and which has been considered as part of this review. The rationale for providing drug interventions through the criminal justice system is to fast-track individuals whose criminal activity is directly related to problem drug use into treatment. Evidence on treatment outcomes suggests that the benefit-cost ratio for structured interventions makes such intervention cost-effective (ranging from 2.5:1 to 9.5:1 depending on methods used) making drug treatment in general an economically viable option in terms of costs and benefits. Evidence from Scotland suggests that the total social and economic cost of illicit drug use is just under £3.56 billion (around £61,000 per problem drug user). Estimated costs of crime are reduced significantly for individuals in treatment (from £12,713 for individuals with no intervention in place; to £1,536 for those in treatment for more than one year). Reductions in re-offending appear to be consistent features of evaluations of interventions (where this outcome is available) along with reductions in drug use for individuals who engage with the interventions. Where re-offending continues, evidence suggests that there is a reduction in the rate of re-offending from levels of re-offending prior to the intervention. There is evidence to indicate that retention in treatment and a consequent „good‟ outcome is consistently predicted by the relationship between readiness for treatment and change, motivation and commitment, and the therapeutic relationship. There does not appear to be any significant difference in outcome between those who access treatment through the criminal justice system and those who access it voluntarily. While this highlights the viability of coerced treatment, it would equally suggest that diverting individuals into treatment may be as effective as intervening through the criminal justice system. In order to avoid „net-widening‟, it is important that intensive interventions are used for „high tariff‟ individuals and ensuring that community resources can be accessed outside the criminal justice system. Qualitative evidence, gathered from both professional respondents and service users, provides some positive elements from the Scottish evaluations of criminal justice interventions for drug users; however in terms of outcome and cost effectiveness, there is limited data from which conclusions of overall effectiveness can be drawn: There is currently no evidence to indicate that mandatory drug testing of arrestees provides any benefits, although it does provide some indication of the incidence of drug use among those tested and can provide a basis for directing individuals to appropriate services. Evaluations of arrest referral schemes are unable to provide evidence of benefits beyond the immediacy of the intervention, largely due to lack of evidence on longer-term outcomes including take-up of onward referrals. However, the recent evaluation of the arrest referral intervention for persistent offenders in Glasgow does provide some evidence of reductions in reconviction rates and benefits in terms of cost when individuals engage with services. Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs) and Drug Courts are both associated with reductions in drug use and reoffending, with improved outcomes for those who complete Orders. Drug Courts appear to be slightly more successful in terms of reconviction rates than DTTOs. Evidence on the effectiveness of lower tariff DTTOs (DTTO IIs) is inconclusive, however international literature on the use of intensive interventions mitigates against the use of intensive interventions for individuals who are low tariff offenders. Combined residential and community-based interventions such as the 218 Centre and Turnaround have much to offer in promoting recovery, given the holistic nature of the intervention; however although cost data is available there is currently no corresponding data on rates of reoffending/reconviction with which to measure cost-effectiveness. While prison may be an effective point of intervention for some problem drug users, evidence from Scotland is limited, with no reconviction analysis of prison-based drug related interventions currently available. Levels of re-offending on release from prison appear to be directly related to the availability of aftercare provision. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research, 2011. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report No. 05/2011: Accessed November 19, 2011 at: http://www.sccjr.ac.uk/documents/SCCJR%20REVIEW%20OF%20EFFECTIVENESS.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.sccjr.ac.uk/documents/SCCJR%20REVIEW%20OF%20EFFECTIVENESS.pdf Shelf Number: 123364 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Offenders (Scotland)Drug TreatmentSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Wiest, Katharina L. Title: Indiana Drug Courts: St. Joseph County Drug Court Program: Process, Outcome and Cost Evaluation Final Report Summary: Drug treatment courts are one of the fastest growing programs designed to reduce drug abuse and criminality in nonviolent offenders in the United States. The first drug court was implemented in Miami, Florida, in 1989. As of 2007, there were more than 1700 adult and juvenile drug courts operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Northern Marina Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam (BJA, 2006). Drug courts use the coercive authority of the criminal justice system to offer treatment to nonviolent addicts in lieu of incarceration. This model of linking the resources of the criminal justice system and substance treatment programs has proven to be effective for increasing treatment participation and decreasing criminal recidivism. Indiana’s drug court movement began in 1996 with two drug courts that hoped to mirror the successes of the Court Alcohol and Drug Programs. As the number of drug courts grew in Indiana, a subcommittee was formed to consider the possibility of developing a certification program for drug courts. In 2002, the Indiana General Assembly enacted drug court legislation. By 2003, drug court rules were adopted which provided a framework for certification of drug courts operating under state statute. The St. Joseph County Drug Court Program (SJCDC) began operations in February 1997 for nonviolent, substance-abusing offenders and was fully certified in October 2004 by the Indiana Judicial Center (IJC). Since inception, 465 individuals have enrolled in the drug court program; 56% of these participants graduated, 39% are terminated or have withdrawn, and 5% are active. The program serves an annual average of 52 participants. For all drug court participants, the primary drug of choice is marijuana (56%), followed by crack/cocaine (24%) and alcohol (13%). In 2006, NPC Research (NPC), under contract with the IJC began process, outcome and cost studies of five adult drug courts in Indiana, including the SJCDC. This report contains the process, outcome and cost evaluation for the SJCDC. Information was acquired from several sources, including observations of court sessions and team meetings during site visits, key informant interviews, focus groups, Court Substance Abuse Program (CSAP) records which includes drug court data, plus arrest records. The methods used to gather this information are described in detail in the main report. This evaluation was designed to answer key policy questions that are of interest to program practitioners, policymakers and researchers: 1. Has the SJCDC program been implemented as intended and are they delivering planned services to the target population? 2. Does the SJCDC reduce recidivism? 3. Does the SJCDC reduce substance use? 4. Is there a cost-savings to the taxpayer due to drug court participation? Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2007. 90p. Source: Internet Resource. Accessed on January 15, 2012 at http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/St._Joseph_Adult_Eval_Final.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/St._Joseph_Adult_Eval_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 123618 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Indiana)Drug OffendersDrug TreatmentRecidivism |
Author: Wiest, Katharina L. Title: Indiana Drug Courts: Vigo County Drug Court: Process, Outcome and Cost Evaluation Final Report Summary: Drug treatment courts are one of the fastest growing programs designed to reduce drug abuse and criminality in nonviolent offenders in the United States. The first drug court was implemented in Miami, Florida, in 1989. As of 2007, there were more than 1700 adult and juvenile drug courts operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Northern Marina Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam (BJA, 2006). Drug courts use the coercive authority of the criminal justice system to offer treatment to nonviolent addicts in lieu of incarceration. This model of linking the resources of the criminal justice system and substance treatment programs has proven to be effective for increasing treatment participation and decreasing criminal recidivism. Indiana’s drug court movement began in 1996 with two drug courts that hoped to mirror the successes of the Court Alcohol and Drug Programs. As the number of drug courts grew in Indiana, a subcommittee was formed to consider the possibility of developing a certification program for drug courts. In 2002, the Indiana General Assembly enacted drug court legislation. By 2003, drug court rules were adopted which provided a framework for certification of drug courts operating under state statute. The Vigo County Drug Court (VCDC) was one of the first drug courts in Indiana. It began operations in 1996 and was officially certified in May 2004 by the Indiana Judicial Center (IJC). The VCDC targets nonviolent, non-dealing, substance-abusing OVWI and felony offenders. As of March 2006, 697 people have been enrolled in the program and 39% have graduated. The program serves approximately 100 participants annually. The mean age of participants is 33 years with a range of 18 to 56 years. For all drug court participants, the primary drugs of choice are methamphetamine (38%), alcohol (31%) and marijuana (18%). In 2006, NPC Research (“NPC”), under contract with the IJC began process, outcome and cost studies of five adult drug courts in Indiana, including the VCDC. This report contains the process, outcome and cost evaluation results for the VCDC program. Information was acquired from several sources, including observations of court sessions and team meetings during site visits, key informant interviews, focus groups, drug court database, plus state and county records. The methods used to gather this information are described in detail in the main report. This evaluation was designed to answer key policy questions that are of interest to program practitioners, policymakers and researchers: 1. Has the VCDC program been implemented as intended and are they delivering planned services to the target population? 2. Does the VCDC reduce recidivism? 3. Does the VCDC reduce substance use? 4. Is there a cost-savings to the taxpayer due to drug court participation? Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2007. 81p. Source: Internet Resource. Accessed on January 15, 2012 at http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Vigo_Adult_Eval_Final.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Vigo_Adult_Eval_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 123619 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Indiana)Drug OffendersDrug TreatmentRecidivism |
Author: Wiest, Katharina L. Title: Indiana Drug Courts: Monroe County Drug Treatment Court: Process, Outcome and Cost Evaluation Final Report Summary: Drug treatment courts are one of the fastest growing programs designed to reduce drug abuse and criminality in non-violent offenders in the United States. The first drug court was implemented in Miami, Florida, in 1989. As of 2007, there were more than 1700 adult and juvenile drug courts operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Northern Marina Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam (BJA, 2006). Drug courts use the coercive authority of the criminal justice system to offer treatment to nonviolent addicts in lieu of incarceration. This model of linking the resources of the criminal justice system and substance treatment programs has proven to be effective for increasing treatment participation and decreasing criminal recidivism. Indiana’s drug court movement began in 1996 with two drug courts that hoped to mirror the successes of the Court Alcohol and Drug Programs. As the number of drug courts grew in Indiana, a subcommittee was formed to consider the possibility of developing a certification program for drug courts. In 2002, the Indiana General Assembly enacted drug court legislation. By 2003, drug court rules were adopted which provided a framework for certification of drug courts operating under state statute. The Monroe County Drug Treatment Court (MCDTC) began operations in November 1999 and was officially certified in May 2005 by the Indiana Judicial Center (IJC). The MCDTC targets non-violent, non-dealing felony offenders. It is estimated that 200 individuals, with a mean age of 33 years, have enrolled in the drug court since inception: 38% (76) graduated and 26% (52) were terminated. The primary drugs of choice are alcohol (60%), followed by benzodiazepine (8%) and marijuana (8%). In 2006, NPC Research (“NPC”), under contract with the IJC began process, outcome and cost studies of five adult drug courts in Indiana, including the MCDTC. This report contains the process, outcome and cost evaluation results for the MCDTC program. Information was acquired from several sources, including observations of court sessions and team meetings during site visits, key informant interviews, focus groups, drug court database, plus state and county records. The methods used to gather this information are described in detail in the main report. This evaluation was designed to answer key policy questions that are of interest to program practitioners, policymakers and researchers: 1. Has the MCDTC program been implemented as intended and are they delivering planned services to the target population? 2. Does the MCDTC reduce recidivism? 3. Does the MCDTC reduce substance use? 4. Is there a cost-savings to the taxpayer due to drug court participation? Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2007. 99p. Source: Internet Resource. Accessed on January 15, 2012 at http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Monroe_Adult_Eval_Final.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Monroe_Adult_Eval_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 123620 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Indiana)Drug OffendersDrug TreatmentRecidivism |
Author: Wiest, Katharina L. Title: Indiana Drug Courts: Vanderburgh County Day Reporting Drug Court: Process, Outcome and Cost Evaluation Final Report Summary: Drug treatment courts are one of the fastest growing programs designed to reduce drug abuse and criminality in nonviolent offenders in the United States. The first drug court was implemented in Miami, Florida, in 1989. As of 2007, there were more than 1700 adult and juvenile drug courts operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Northern Marina Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam (BJA, 2006). Drug courts use the coercive authority of the criminal justice system to offer treatment to nonviolent addicts in lieu of incarceration. This model of linking the resources of the criminal justice system and substance treatment programs has proven to be effective for increasing treatment participation and decreasing criminal recidivism. Indiana’s drug court movement began in 1996 with two drug courts that hoped to mirror the successes of the Court Alcohol and Drug Programs. As the number of drug courts grew in Indiana, a subcommittee was formed to consider the possibility of developing a certification program for drug courts. In 2002, the Indiana General Assembly enacted drug court legislation. By 2003, drug court rules were adopted which provided a framework for certification of drug courts operating under state statute. The Vanderburgh County Day Reporting Drug Court (VCDRDC) began operations in April 2001 and was given provisional certification in February 2003 and was later officially certified in March 2005 by the IJC. The VCDRDC targets nonviolent, substance-abusing offenders. As of March 2006, 153 people have been enrolled in the program and 45% have graduated. The program serves approximately 48 to 60 participants annually. For all drug court participants, the primary drug of choice is marijuana (32%), followed by methamphetamines (26%) and cocaine (21%). In 2006, NPC Research (“NPC”), under contract with the Indiana Judicial began process, outcome and cost studies of five adult drug courts in Indiana, including the VCDRDC. This report contains the process, outcome and cost evaluation results for the VCDRDC program. Information was acquired from several sources, including observations of court sessions and team meetings during site visits, key informant interviews, focus groups, drug court database, plus state and county records. The methods used to gather this information are described in detail in the main report. This evaluation was designed to answer key policy questions that are of interest to program practitioners, policymakers and researchers: 1. Has the VCDRDC program been implemented as intended and are they delivering planned services to the target population? 2. Does the VCDRDC reduce recidivism? 3. Does the VCDRDC reduce substance use? 4. Is there a cost-savings to the taxpayer due to drug court participation? Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2007. Source: Internet Resource. Accessed on January 15, 2012 at http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Vanderburgh_Adult_Eval_Final.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Vanderburgh_Adult_Eval_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 123621 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Indiana)Drug OffendersDrug TreatmentRecidivism |
Author: Carey, Shannon M. Title: California Drug Courts: Costs and Benefits. Phase III: DC-CSET Statewide Launch Superior Court of Sacramento County Sacramento Drug Court Site-Specific Report Summary: This report contains the site-specific cost-benefit results for the Sacramento Drug Court. These results are part of a multi-part of Phase III, the statewide launch phase, of this research effort to develop a statewide methodology for assessing the benefits and costs of drug courts in the State of California. The aim of this effort is to produce a validated methodology to conduct inexpensive cost-benefit studies on an ongoing basis of drug courts throughout the state. This methodology, when fully implemented, will enable NPC Research and the California State Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to answer important public policy questions from a cost-benefit perspective. These questions include the following: 1. Are adult drug courts cost beneficial? 2. What adult drug court practices appear most promising and cost-beneficial? As a part of this effort, a web-based tool was created the Drug Court Cost Self-Evaluation Tool (DCCSET) that drug courts statewide can use to help determine their own costs and benefits. This tool has been piloted in four drug court program sites. The results of the pilot, and in particular feedback from the pilot sites, were used to adjust the web-tool in preparation for the statewide launch. This report is the result of the statewide launch. This report contains the site-specific results for the Sacramento Drug Court in Sacramento County, California. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2008. 25p. Source: Internet Resource. Accessed on January 15, 2012 at http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/California_Drug_Courts_%20Sacramento_full_site_cost_report_1208.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/California_Drug_Courts_%20Sacramento_full_site_cost_report_1208.pdf Shelf Number: 123622 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (California)Drug OffendersDrug TreatmentRecidivismSacramento Drug Courts |
Author: Ferguson, Andrew Title: A Process and Site-Specific Outcome Evaluation of Maine's Adult Drug Treatment Court Programs Summary: The high correlation between crime and the abuse of drugs and alcohol is well documented. Individuals with substance abuse problems are significantly more likely to commit crimes, to commit a wider range of crimes and to be convicted of more violent and serious offenses. Drug courts were developed as a means to respond to problems posed by substance abusing offenders involved in the revolving door of the criminal justice system. As such, they represent a nexus between criminal justice and substance abuse treatment systems that is intended to reduce prison populations by reducing crimes of drug involved offenders by changing their drug using habits. Through comprehensive supervision, drug testing, integrated substance abuse treatment services and frequent court appearances before a designated program judge, drug courts attempt to motivate offenders to engage and participate in a program of behavioral change. Across the United States, there are more than 1,600 drug courts in operation and it is estimated that over 400,000 drug-using offenders have participated in these programs. The vast body of research literature on drug courts indicates positive outcomes – that drug courts are helping to improve the lives of difficult to reach populations. According to the United States Government Accountability Office (2005), drug court programs have demonstrated the ability to reduce recidivism and generate other positive outcomes. Maine’s Adult Drug Treatment Court was created by statute in August 2000 and currently operates in five of Maine’s sixteen counties. As of November 30, 2005, there were a total of 1,365 offenders referred to these programs and 540 offenders were admitted. Maine’s drug courts are intensive and challenging programs to successfully complete. The overall completion rate in Maine (60%) exceeds completion rates across drug court programs nationally (48%). The current study contributes to ongoing discussions about the effectiveness of drug court programs. Consistent with the national literature, this study shows that Maine’s Adult Drug Court program is not only effective in reducing crime but cost effective as well. Details: Augusta, ME: Department of Health and Human Services, 2006. 36p. Source: Internet Resource. Accessed on January 15, 2012 at http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/osa/pubs/correct/2006/adultdc06.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/osa/pubs/correct/2006/adultdc06.pdf Shelf Number: 123624 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse PreventionDrug Courts (Maine)Drug OffendersDrug Treatment |
Author: Lucas, Lisa M. Title: Prince George's County Circuit Court Adult Drug Court: Outcome and Cost Evaluation Summary: Drug courts are designed to guide offenders identified as drug-addicted into treatment that will reduce drug dependence and improve the quality of life for them and their families. Benefits to society often take the form of reductions in crime committed by drug court participants, resulting in reduced costs to taxpayers and increased public safety. In the typical drug court program, participants are closely supervised by a judge who is supported by a team of state and local agency representatives who operate outside of their traditional roles. The team typically includes a drug court coordinator, addiction treatment providers, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, law enforcement officers, and parole and probation officers who work together to provide needed services to drug court participants. Prosecuting attorneys and defense attorneys hold their usual adversarial positions in abeyance to support the treatment and supervision needs of program participants. Drug court programs can be viewed as blending resources, expertise, and interests of a variety of jurisdictions and agencies. NPC Research, under contract with the Maryland Judiciary, Administrative Office of the Courts, conducted a cost and outcome study of the Prince George’s County Circuit Court Adult Drug Court (PGCADC) program. The report includes the cost of the program and the outcomes of participants as compared to a sample of similar individuals who received traditional court processing. There are three key policy questions that are of interest to program practitioners, researchers and policymakers that this evaluation was designed to answer. 1. Do drug treatment court programs reduce recidivism? 2. Do drug treatment court programs reduce substance abuse? 3. Do drug treatment court programs produce cost savings? Information was acquired for this evaluation from several sources, including administrative databases, agency budgets, and other financial documents. Data were also gathered from PGCADC and other agency files and databases. NPC Research identified a sample of participants who entered PGCADC between August 2002 and August 2005. A comparison group was identified from individuals who were arrested on a drug court-eligible charge during the study period. These individuals did not attend drug court and instead received traditional court processing. Both the participant and comparison groups were examined through existing administrative databases for a period up to 36 months from the date of drug court entry (or equivalent for the comparison group). The two groups were matched on age, sex, race, marital status, education, prior drug use history, criminal history (including arrests and drug arrests for the 2 years prior to the study period), and drug of choice. The methods used to gather this information from each source are described in detail in the main report. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2008. 62p. Source: Internet Resource. Accessed on January 15, 2012 at http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/PG_Circuit_Adult_Outcome_Cost_1008.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/PG_Circuit_Adult_Outcome_Cost_1008.pdf Shelf Number: 123626 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Maryland)Drug OffendersRecidivismSubstance Abuse |
Author: Mackin, Juliette R. Title: Howard County District Court Drug Treatment Court Program Outcome and Cost Evaluation Summary: Individual drug courts are intensive interventions that involve coordination of multiple agencies and professional practitioners applying a variety of areas of expertise, intensive case management and supervision, and frequent judicial reviews. The purpose of drug courts is to guide offenders, identified as abusing substances, into treatment that will reduce drug use and criminality, and consequently improving the quality of life for participants and their families. In the typical drug court program, participants are closely supervised by a judge who is supported by a team of agency representatives that operate outside of their traditional, sometimes adversarial roles. Benefits to society take the form of reductions in crime committed by drug court participants, resulting in reduced costs to taxpayers and increased public safety. NPC Research, under contract with the Administrative Office of the Courts of the State of Maryland, conducted an outcome and cost study of the Howard County District Court Drug Treatment Court (DTC) program. This program is a combined drug court and DUI court program, but this report will focus only on the participants who are served by the drug court side of the program. Another report will cover the DUI court participant outcomes and associated costs. Howard County District Court Drug Treatment Court (DTC) was formed in 2004, with the expansion into a dual program with DUI offenders beginning in 2005. The program has a capacity of 25 and since inception has served over 66 participants. The DTC program has four phases that can be completed by participants in a period as short as 12 months. For the 44 drug court participants included in this study who had since exited the program, either successfully or unsuccessfully, the average number of days in the program was 380 (12.5 months). Graduates spent an average of 489 days in the program (approximately 16 months), whereas non-graduates spent an average of 318 days in the program (approximately 10.5 months). Throughout the program, participants attend drug court sessions evaluating their progress, meetings with a case manager, and group and individual counseling sessions. The program requires that the individuals submit to drug testing. The DTC uses incentives and sanctions to encourage positive behaviors. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2010. 49p. Source: Internet Resource. Accessed on January 15, 2012 at http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Howard_District_DTC_Outcome_Cost_0110.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Howard_District_DTC_Outcome_Cost_0110.pdf Shelf Number: 123628 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Maryland)Drug OffendersRecidivismSubstance Abuse |
Author: Mackin, Juliette R. Title: Wicomico County Circuit Court Adult Drug Treatment Court Program Outcome and Cost Evaluation Summary: Drug treatment courts are intensive interventions that involve coordination of multiple agencies and professional practitioners applying a variety of areas of expertise, intensive case management and supervision, and frequent judicial reviews. The purpose of drug treatment courts is to guide offenders, identified as abusing substances, into treatment that will reduce drug use and criminality, and consequently improving the quality of life for participants and their families. In the typical drug treatment court program, participants are closely supervised by a judge who is supported by a team of agency representatives that operate outside of their traditional, sometimes adversarial roles. Benefits to society take the form of reductions in crime committed by drug treatment court participants, resulting in reduced costs to taxpayers and increased public safety. NPC Research, under contract with the Administrative Office of the Courts of the State of Maryland, conducted an outcome and cost study of the Wicomico County Circuit Court Adult Drug Treatment Court (DTC) program. The Wicomico County Circuit Court Adult Drug Treatment Court Program (DTC) was created to provide intensive intervention to nonviolent felony offenders whose criminality is likely a result of their dependence on substances. Generally, prospective drug treatment court participants have not responded to regular probation and outpatient treatment. The Wicomico County DTC admitted its first participant in September 2005. At capacity, the DTC program is designed to serve 50 active participants. As of October 2009, 85 individuals had entered the drug treatment court since the program‘s inception. The DTC program has four phases, which cumulatively take 18 to 24 months to complete. During all phases, participants must comply with their individualized substance abuse treatment plan, health care instructions, medication requirements, curfew rules, and referrals made by the resource manager. They must attend drug treatment court review hearings and submit to regular drug tests. For the 37 drug court participants included in this study who had since exited the program, either successfully or unsuccessfully, the average number of days in the program was 470 (just over 15 months). Graduates spent an average of 634 days in the program (almost 21 months), whereas non-graduates spent an average of 345 days in the program (approximately 11 months). A minimum of 210 consecutive clean days are required in order to graduate. The graduation rate for this program is approximately 43%. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2009. 53p. Source: Internet Resource. Accessed on January 15, 2012 at http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Wicomico_Circuit_Outcome_Cost_1209.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Wicomico_Circuit_Outcome_Cost_1209.pdf Shelf Number: 123625 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Maryland)Drug OffendersRecidivismSubstance Abuse |
Author: Rossman, Shelli B. Title: The Multi-Site Adult Drug Court Evaluation: The Impact of Drug Courts - Final Report, Volume 4 Summary: Volume 4 from the National Institute of Justice's Multi–site Adult Drug Court Evaluation (MADCE) provides findings from the outcome evaluation answering the questions, "do drug courts work", "for whom do drug courts work," and "what are the mechanisms by which drug courts work", as well as provides findings from the cost–benefit study. The outcome evaluation found that drug courts prevent crime and substance use and work equally well for most participant subgroups. Effects are greatest among participants whose judges who spend time with them, support them, and treat them with respect. Implications for practice, policy, and future research are also discussed. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute Justice Policy Center, 2011. 366p. Source: Internet Resource. Accessed on January 20, 2012 at http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/412357-MADCE-The-Impact-of-Drug-Courts.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/412357-MADCE-The-Impact-of-Drug-Courts.pdf Shelf Number: 123694 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug CourtsDrug OffendersDrug TreatmentProblem-Solving CourtsRecidivism |
Author: Piper, R.K. Title: Cost/Benefit Analysis of the Douglas County Drug Court Summary: The primary purpose of this cost-benefit evaluation of the Douglas County Drug Court (DCDC) is to provide administrators and policy-makers with critical information for future policy and funding decisions. This study expands and refines previous DCDC cost-benefit analyses through an investigation of drug court program investment, outcome and societal-impact costs and savings. This study employs a Transaction Cost model that examines complex, multiagency events and costs for participants in drug court and non-drug court comparison groups. A “cost-to-taxpayer” approach is used that includes any criminal justice related costs (or avoided costs) generated by drug court or non-drug court comparison group participants, that directly impacts citizens either through tax-related expenditures or personal victimization costs/losses due to crimes committed by drug offenders. Details: Omaha, NE: University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2004. 41p. Source: Internet Resource. Accessed on January 20, 2012 at http://www.dc4dc.com/images/stories/forms/UNO_CostBenefit.pdf Year: 2004 Country: United States URL: http://www.dc4dc.com/images/stories/forms/UNO_CostBenefit.pdf Shelf Number: 123695 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Nebraska)Drug OffendersVictim Compensation |
Author: Carey, Shannon M. Title: Vermont Drug Courts: Rutland County Adult Drug Court Process, Outcome, and Cost Evaluation - Final Report Summary: In the past 20 years, one of the strongest movements in the United States focused on reducing substance abuse among the criminal justice population has been the spread of Drug Courts across the country. In 2002, under Act 128 the Vermont legislature established a pilot project to create drug court initiatives and begin implementing drug courts in 3 Vermont counties: Rutland, Chittendon, and Bennington. By 2007, at the sunset of Act 128, drug courts in Vermont were up and running on their own. Currently, in Vermont, there are three operational Adult Drug Courts, one Family Treatment Court and one Mental Health Court. The Rutland County Adult Drug Court (RCADC) began its operations in January 2004 with the support of a federal grant. In early 2008, NPC Research ("NPC"), under contract with the Supreme Court of Vermont, Office of the Court Administrator, began a process, outcome and cost study of the Rutland County Adult Drug Court Program (RCADC). The goals of this project were to evaluate the effectiveness of the RCADC in reducing recidivism, to determine the cost-benefits of drug court participation and to evaluate the RDADC processes. The results of this evaluation are designed to be helpful in assisting the drug court in improving the services to drug court participants, and in gaining support from the community. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2009. 125p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 20, 2012 at http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/VT_Drug_Court_Eval_Rutland_0109.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/VT_Drug_Court_Eval_Rutland_0109.pdf Shelf Number: 123696 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Vermont)Drug OffendersProblem-Solving CourtsRecidivism |
Author: Latimer, Jeff Title: A Meta-Analytic Examination of Drug Treatment Courts: Do They Reduce Recidivism? Summary: A meta-analysis was conducted to determine if drug treatment courts reduce recidivism compared to traditional justice system responses. After a comprehensive search of both the published and unpublished literature, 54 studies were located and deemed acceptable according to the study inclusion criteria. Since studies oftentimes contained information on more than one program, data from 66 individual drug treatment court programs were aggregated and analyzed. The results indicated that drug treatment courts significantly reduced the recidivism rates of participants by 14% compared to offenders within the control/comparison groups. Several variables identified in the analysis, however, had an impact on the results, including the age of the participants, the length of the program, the follow-up period used to measure recidivism, and other methodological variables (i.e., the use of random assignment and the choice of the comparison group). While there are other issues that were not the subject of this research, such as the cost-effectiveness of DTCs, the results of this meta-analysis provides clear support for the use of drug treatment courts as a method of reducing crime among offenders with substance abuse problems. Details: Ottawa: Research and Statistics Division, Department of Justice Canada, 2006. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 20, 2012 at http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/rs/rep-rap/2006/rr06_7/rr06_7.pdf Year: 2006 Country: Canada URL: http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/rs/rep-rap/2006/rr06_7/rr06_7.pdf Shelf Number: 123698 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Canada)Drug OffendersProblem-Solving CourtsRecidivismRepeat Offenders |
Author: Finigan, Michael W. Title: Impact of a Mature Drug Court Over 10 Years of Operation: Recidivism and Costs (Final Report) Summary: This study examined the impact of a single drug court on the total population of drug court-eligible offenders over a 10-year period in Portland, Oregon. This drug court, the Multnomah County Drug Court in Portland, Oregon, is the second oldest in the United States. The Program was originally designed to be a pre-plea offer to individuals arrested on drug charges. The program began accepting probationers and parolees (as well as pre-plea clients) in 1995 and became a completely post-plea program in 2000. This study covers the period from program start in 1991 through 2001. The entire population of offenders, identified as eligible for drug court by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office over a 10-year period, from 1991 to 2001, was identified and tracked through a variety of administrative data systems. Approximately 11,000 cases were identified; 6,500 participated in the Drug Court program during that period and 4,600 had their case processed outside the drug court model. Because the program changed from pre-plea to post-plea over time, the population of drug court participants used in these analyses contains a mix of both pre- and post-conviction offenders. Data on intermediate and long-term outcomes were gathered on each offender, with a particular emphasis on criminal recidivism (re-arrest) as a primary outcomes measure. The outcome data were drawn in late 2005 and early 2006, allowing a minimum of 5 years of follow-up on all cohorts and more than 10 years on many cohorts. Data on costs were gathered using a modified Transactional Cost Analysis Approach to allow us to conduct a cost-benefit analysis. Costs were calculated in terms of investment costs (transactions associated with the drug court-eligible case), outcome costs (transactions that occurred after participants entered the program, not associated with the drug court-eligible case) and total costs per participant. The analysis of the data focused on both the overall impact of the drug court on the target population over time, variations over time on that impact, and external and internal conditions that influenced these outcomes. A cost analysis was conducted to assess the overall investment of taxpayer money in the court compared to its benefits. Results included significantly reduced recidivism for drug court participants up to 14 years after drug court entry compared to eligible offenders that did not participate. Drug court judges that worked longer with the drug court had better participant outcomes. Judges that rotated through the drug court twice had better participant outcomes the second time than the first. Investment costs in the drug court program were $1,392 less than the investment costs of business-as-usual. Savings (benefits) due to reduced recidivism for drug court participants totaled more than $79 million over the 10-year period. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2007. 104p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 20, 2012 at http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/10yr_STOP_Court_Analysis_Final_Report.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/10yr_STOP_Court_Analysis_Final_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 123701 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Oregon)Drug OffendersProblem-Solving CourtsRecidivism |
Author: Marchand, Gwen Title: Barry County Adult Drug Court Outcome and Cost Evaluation (Final Report) Summary: In the past fifteen years, one of the most dramatic developments in the movement to reduce substance abuse among the U.S. criminal justice population has been the spread of drug courts across the country. In a typical drug court program, participants are closely supervised by a judge who is supported by a team of agency representatives that operate outside of their traditional adversarial roles including addiction treatment providers, prosecuting attorneys, public defenders, law enforcement officers, and parole and probation officers who work together to provide needed services to drug court participants. “The emergence of these new courts reflects the growing recognition on the part of judges, prosecutors, and defense counsel that the traditional criminal justice methods of incarceration, probation, or supervised parole have not stemmed the tide of drug use among criminals and drug-related crimes in America” (Hora, Schma, & Rosenthal, 1999, p.9). In the drug treatment court movement, Michigan has been a pioneering force. The Michigan Community Corrections Act was enacted in 1988 to investigate and develop alternatives to incarceration. Four years later, in June 1992, the first women’s drug treatment court in the nation was established in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Drug Court in Barry County began in 2001 as a response to the high number of drunk drivers coming before the court. Over time, the Barry County Adult Drug Court has emerged as a powerful force in the community in combating increasing jail and prison populations as well as social and public health problems stemming from a variety of substance abuse issues. In 2005, the Michigan Supreme Court, State Court Administrative Office contracted with NPC Research to perform outcome and cost evaluations of two Michigan adult drug courts; the Kalamazoo Adult Drug Treatment Court and the Barry County Adult Drug Court. This document describes the evaluation and results for the Barry County Adult Drug Court (BCADC). Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2006. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 20, 2012 at http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Barry%20Final%20Report_1006.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Barry%20Final%20Report_1006.pdf Shelf Number: 123702 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Michigan)Drug OffendersProblem-Solving CourtsRecidivismSubstance Abuse |
Author: Marchand, Gwen Title: Kalamazoo County Adult Drug Treatment Court Outcome and Cost Evaluation (Final Report) Summary: In the past fifteen years, one of the most dramatic developments in the movement to reduce substance abuse among the U.S. criminal justice population has been the spread of drug courts across the country. In a typical drug court program, participants are closely supervised by a judge who is supported by a team of agency representatives that operate outside of their traditional adversarial roles including addiction treatment providers, prosecuting attorneys, public defenders, law enforcement officers, and parole and probation officers who work together to provide needed services to drug court participants. “The emergence of these new courts reflects the growing recognition on the part of judges, prosecutors, and defense counsel that the traditional criminal justice methods of incarceration, probation, or supervised parole have not stemmed the tide of drug use among criminals and drug-related crimes in America.” (Hora, Schma, & Rosenthal, 1999, p. 9). In the drug treatment court movement, Michigan has been a pioneering force. The Michigan Community Corrections Act was enacted in 1988 to investigate and develop alternatives to incarceration. Four years later, in June 1992, the first women’s drug treatment court in the nation was established in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In 1997, a program for male offenders was added to the Drug Treatment Court Program through an expansion grant from the U.S. Department of Justice1. In 2005, NPC Research was hired to perform outcome and cost evaluations of two Michigan adult drug courts; the Kalamazoo Adult Drug Treatment Court and the Barry County Adult Drug Court. This document describes the evaluation and results for the Kalamazoo County Adult Drug Treatment Court (KADTC). There are three key policy questions that are of interest to program practitioners, researchers and policymakers that this evaluation was designed to answer. 1. Do drug treatment court programs reduce substance abuse? 2. Do drug treatment court programs reduce recidivism? 3. Do drug treatment court programs produce cost savings (in terms of avoided costs)? Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2006. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 20, 2012 at http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Kalamazoo%20Final%20Report_1006.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Kalamazoo%20Final%20Report_1006.pdf Shelf Number: 123703 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationCost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Michigan)Drug OffendersRecidivismRepeat Offenders |
Author: Van Vleet, Russell K. Title: Evaluation of the Salt Lake County Adult Felony Drug Court Final Report Summary: The general effectiveness of drug courts on reducing recidivism has been consistently established (Belenko, 2001). The Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) review of adult drug court evaluations (2005) found that most studies have shown both during program and post-program (up to one year) reductions in recidivism. The evaluation of the Salt Lake County Drug Court is consistent with that overall finding. In the 12 months following drug court exit, 19.7% of graduates had a new arrest, compared to 29.8% of the probationer comparison group and 46.5% of terminated clients. Drug court graduates had more pre-intervention arrests on average than the probationer comparison group and pre-intervention arrests were the most consistent predictor of post-intervention recidivism; however, a smaller proportion of drug court graduates than probationers recidivated during the follow-up period, suggesting that drug court may have lessened the detrimental effects of prior criminal history for this group of graduates. Terminated clients are three times more likely than graduates to recidivate in the first year after exiting drug court. However, even terminated clients had a significant decrease in offending from one year prior to drug court to one year following drug court (3.63 offenses on average in year prior to drug court; 0.81 on average in the year following drug court exit). Program compliance was significantly related to post-program recidivism, with those who recidivated in the 12-months after exiting drug court having about 31.8% of their urinalysis tests (UAs) positive or missed on average, compared to 19.5% for those who did not. Those who re-offended after exiting drug court had significantly fewer treatment sessions on average (26.6) than those who did not (59.5). Time in drug court also varied significantly for those who recidivated (200 days in drug court on average) and those who did not (356). The cost-benefit return for the drug court based on the Utah cost-benefit model (Fowles, et al., 2005) is approximately $4.29 return on every dollar invested in the program. This benefit takes into account both the explicit reduced costs to the taxpayer due to lowered recidivism and also the implicit reduced costs to potential victims due to lowered recidivism. Client satisfaction with the drug court staff and professionals was overwhelmingly positive. Most clients felt that the judges, case managers, treatment staff, and other professionals both respected them and helped them to remain drug free. Even terminated clients had mostly positive reviews of the drug court components and the program overall. Key informant interviews with those professionals conducting drug court included judges, prosecutors, therapists and case managers. While overwhelmingly supportive of drug court, concerns were expressed regarding the need to retain program fidelity if the court is to continue to experience the success indicated in this and other evaluations. Specifically, respondents recognized the role of the judge in drug court success and the concern that the judicial role would be compromised if the court becomes too large. Secondly respondents brought up the compatibility of the legal team, therapists, and case managers, as their roles have potential for conflict. Methodological limitations of the recidivism analyses, such as sample size, follow-up length, and probation end-date calculations, may impact the results of these tests. Additional analysis of the three recidivism studies included in this report should be conducted after the follow-up period for both participants and the probation group have been extended to 24 months (the length of time required to capture 75-80% of adult recidivism events; Barnoski, 1997), to see if the differences among the groups are durable across a longer period of time. Larger samples of graduates and terminated clients should be included in the recidivism analyses, as the follow-up period allows. Details: Salt Lake City, UT: Criminal and Juvenile Justice Consortium, College of Social Work, University of Utah, 2005. 139p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 20, 2012 at http://ucjc.law.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/1.pdf Year: 2005 Country: United States URL: http://ucjc.law.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/1.pdf Shelf Number: 123704 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Utah)Drug OffendersDrug TreatmentRecidivismRepeat Offenders |
Author: Shaffer, Deborah K. Title: Evaluation of Ohio's Drug Courts: A Cost Benefit Analysis Summary: In 1995, researchers in the Center for Criminal Justice Research at the University of Cincinnati began an evaluation of Ohio’s first drug court (Hamilton County). Since that time, numerous other drug courts have been implemented throughout the State of Ohio. The University of Cincinnati has completed outcome evaluations on juvenile, felony, and misdemeanor drug courts throughout the State. While these studies have suggested that Ohio’s drug courts are reducing recidivism, none of them have included a cost-benefit analysis. In 2003, the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services contracted with the University of Cincinnati to extend the previous research. Specifically, this project seeks to assess whether drug courts save taxpayer dollars as either a less expensive sentencing option or through reductions in recidivism. Details: Cincinatti, OH: Center for Criminal Justice Research, University of Cincinnati, 2005. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 20, 2012 at http://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/ocjs_CostBenefitAnalysisofOhiosDrugCourts2005.pdf Year: 2005 Country: United States URL: http://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/ocjs_CostBenefitAnalysisofOhiosDrugCourts2005.pdf Shelf Number: 123705 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Ohio)Drug OffendersDrug TreatmentProblem-Solving CourtsRecidivism |
Author: Loman, Anthony L. Title: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the St. Louis City Adult Felony Drug Court Summary: The St. Louis Adult Felony Drug Court in the City of St. Louis is a pre-plea drug court that accepts individuals charged with drug crimes shortly after arrest. The program is voluntary. Participants must submit to regular breath testing for alcohol and urinalysis for drugs, make regular court appearances, find and maintain employment, and participate in prescribed drug and alcohol treatment. If they successfully complete the program, which averages nearly a year and a half in length, their original charges are dismissed. The St. Louis Adult Felony Drug Court began operating on April 7, 1997 in the City of St. Louis (22nd Judicial Circuit). The graduates selected for this study were the first 219 to successfully complete the program. A number of reforms, including a special program for youthful defendants, have been introduced since that time that are designed to enhance drug court outcomes. This group of graduates predates most of those reforms. Research indicating the benefits of drug courts has accumulated during the previous decade. However, there have been few controlled studies designed to demonstrate whether the value of those benefits to the community offset the costs of operating the programs. The primary goal of the present study was a cost-benefit analysis of the St. Louis Adult Felony Drug Court that compared the first 219 drug court graduates, who had completed drug court before 2001, with a carefully matched group of other individuals charged with drug crimes who were not offered drug court but completed probation. This is the final report of the cost-benefit analysis of the St. Louis Adult Felony Drug Court in the City of St. Louis. The drug court is a voluntary program designed to provide drug treatment and other services to individuals charged with felony drug or drug-related offenses within a program that involves close supervision and monitoring by drug court officials. The primary focus of the report is a comparison in monetary terms of the costs of such services with the benefits to participants who successfully complete the program and to the community as a whole. Details: St. Louis, MO: Institute for Applied Research, 2004. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 20, 2012 at http://www.iarstl.org/papers/SLFDCcostbenefit.pdf Year: 2004 Country: United States URL: http://www.iarstl.org/papers/SLFDCcostbenefit.pdf Shelf Number: 123708 Keywords: Alcohol TreatmentCost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Missouri)Drug TreatmentDrug Treatment Programs |
Author: Gilbertson, Troy Title: 2008 DWI Court Evaluation Report - Ninth Judicial District Minnesota Summary: An evaluation of the DWI Courts in the Minnesota 9th Judicial District was conducted. The individual courts include; Aitkin County DWI Court, Beltrami County DWI Court, Cass County/ Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Wellness Court, Crow Wing County DWI Couty, Koochiching County DWI Court, Lake of the Woods County DWI Court, and Roseau County DWI Court. The evaluation is based on data collected from participants active in the above referenced DWI courts between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008. The analysis was focused on four main criteria: recidivism, sobriety, community functioning, and jail cost avoidance. Details: Bemidji, MN: Criminal Justice Department, Bemidji State University, undated. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 20, 2012 at http://www.american.edu/spa/jpo/customcf/get.cfm?jpo_collection=1&doc=2008-DWI-Court-Evaluation-Report--Ninth-Judicial-District-MN-Executive-Summary & at: http://www.american.edu/spa/jpo/customcf/get.cfm?jpo_collection=1&doc=2008-DWI-Court-Evaluation-Report-Ninth-Judicial-District-MN1 Year: 0 Country: United States URL: http://www.american.edu/spa/jpo/customcf/get.cfm?jpo_collection=1&doc=2008-DWI-Court-Evaluation-Report--Ninth-Judicial-District-MN-Executive-Summary & at: http://www.american.edu/spa/jpo/customcf/get.cfm?jpo_collection=1&do Shelf Number: 123709 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Minnesota)Drug OffendersDrug TreatmentProblem-Solving CourtsRecidivism |
Author: Roman, John K. Title: Impact and Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Anchorage Wellness Court Summary: The primary goal of this research is to estimate the costs and benefits of serving misdemeanor DUI offenders in the Anchorage Wellness Court (AWC), a specialized court employing principles of therapeutic jurisprudence. The Urban Institute conducted an impact and a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to estimate the effectiveness of the AWC. The study focused on the impact of the program on reducing the prevalence and incidence of new criminal justice system contact. Costs were collected to estimate the opportunity cost of the AWC. Recidivism variables were monetized to estimate the benefits from crime reductions. Outcomes were observed at 24, 30, 36, and 48 months. Details: Washington, DC: Justice Policy Center, Urban Institute, 2008. 73p. Source: Research Report: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 27, 2012 at http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411746_anchorage_wellness.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411746_anchorage_wellness.pdf Shelf Number: 123796 Keywords: Alcohol Courts (Alaska)Cost-Benefit AnalysisProblem Solving CourtsRecidivism |
Author: Gul, Serdar Kenan Title: Providing Efficient Police Services: A Cost-Benefit Analysis Summary: This case study evaluates and compares several alternatives for increasing efficiency in the Kent State University (KSU) Police Department in Ohio, USA by using Bardach’s Eightfold Path Model. The KSU Police Department provides money escort services despite the recent decrease in the number of personnel allocated to routine police services. The community expects the campus police to be more visible and respond to calls for service more swiftly. In order to increase efficiency in terms of visibility and rapid response on campus, this study recommends contracting out the money escort services to a private company and redeploy police officers to foot patrol and community policing activities on campus. Details: New York: International Police Executive Symposium, 2009. 24p. Source: Working Paper No. 16: Internet Resource: Accessed March 2, 2012 at http://www.ipes.info/WPS/WPS%20No%2016.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.ipes.info/WPS/WPS%20No%2016.pdf Shelf Number: 124367 Keywords: Campus Police (Ohio)Cost-Benefit AnalysisPolice Calls for Service |
Author: Levin, Marc A. Title: Peach State Criminal Justice: Controlling Costs, Protecting the Public Summary: Georgia has struggled to identify polices that properly differentiate between high-risk, violent offenders and lower-risk, nonviolent offenders. Though Georgia’s response to a nonviolent crime has often been to incarcerate, increasing prison populations and costs have led many to question whether probation or diversion to drug or mental health treatment may be better for public safety, better for taxpayers and even better for the offender. That was the conclusion reached in November 2011 by the Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform for Georgians (“the Council”), a bipartisan council of prominent judges, legislators and attorneys in Georgia that was authorized by the Legislature in 2011 to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the state’s criminal justice system. Government often grows far beyond its necessary scope and traditional core functions. The fact that public safety is a core function of government, however, does not mean that it should be excused from scrutiny about its size and scope. It is important that policy-makers hold criminal justice agencies accountable for their performance. From an accountability perspective, the Council’s report is encouraging because rather than simply asking how many people are in prison, it asks whether public safety is being served. Prisons are certainly a vital part of an overall crime-fighting strategy, but “thinking outside the cell” when it comes to those offenders who are less likely to pose a violent threat to the public can make Georgians safer and save them money. At the end of 2007, one out of every 70 Georgia adults was incarcerated compared with one out of every 100 nationally, and Georgia had the fourth highest incarceration rate in the country.3 However, the state’s recidivism rate – the proportion of inmates who are reconvicted within three years of release – has remained unchanged, hovering just shy of 30 percent throughout the past decade. Moreover, the Council estimated that if no policy changes are made, the Georgia prison population will grow by 8 percent from 2012-2016, and this will cost the state an extra $264 million in corrections spending. Fortunately, there are solutions consistent with the principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility and public safety that have proven successful in states such as Texas. The Council explored several of these measures, such as diverting nonviolent drug possession offenders away from prison and into treatment programs and implementing evidence-based practices in community supervision to hold offenders accountable and reduce recidivism. The Council also recommended expanding accountability courts and developing clear criteria so that existing community-based residential corrections beds are used for diverting appropriate offenders from prison rather than as an add-on for offenders who can be safely supervised on basic probation. This paper will review the most prominent recommendations that were made by the Council and discuss how these recommendations have assisted other states in ensuring public safety, holding offenders accountable and controlling corrections costs. Details: Georgia Public Policy Foundation, 2012. 8p. Source: Issue Analysis: Internet Resource: Accessed March 4, 2012 at http://www.georgiapolicy.org/pub/Crime/IACriminalJustice.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.georgiapolicy.org/pub/Crime/IACriminalJustice.pdf Shelf Number: 124382 Keywords: Corrections (Georgia)Cost-Benefit AnalysisCriminal Justice Administration (Georgia)Risk Assessment (Georgia) |
Author: Davies, Linda Title: The Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study (DTORS): Cost-effectiveness Analysis Summary: The objectives of the CBA were to: estimate the costs of treatment; descriptively compare the costs and outcomes of drug treatment overall and by treatment centre; estimate the monetary value of the outcomes measured by the DTORS and the overall net benefit of treatment. The economic evaluation used cost consequences analysis to descriptively compare the costs and outcomes of drug treatment. Cost benefit analysis was used to estimate the net benefit (cost) of drug treatment. The cost estimates included the fixed and variable costs of the treatment centres, the costs of services accessed or used by service users and families as part of treatment or as a consequence of treatment. These data were collected from a review of centre accounting and information systems, service user records (where these existed) and interviews and questionnaires completed by care and support staff and service users. The outcomes included: •Quality adjusted life years; •Engagement in drug related behaviours; •Severity of drug dependence; •Offending behaviour; •Employment. Details: London: Home Office, 2009. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Home Office Research Report 25: Accessed April 11, 2012 at: http://www.dtors.org.uk/reports/DTORS_CostEffect_Main.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.dtors.org.uk/reports/DTORS_CostEffect_Main.pdf Shelf Number: 124934 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse Treatment (U.K.)Drug Offenders |
Author: Perez-Arce, Francisco Title: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program Summary: Decades of research show that high school dropouts are more likely than graduates to commit crimes, abuse drugs and alcohol, have children out of wedlock, earn low wages, be unemployed, and suffer from poor health. The ChalleNGe program, currently operating in 27 states, is a residential program coupled with post-residential mentoring that seeks to alter the life course of high school dropouts ages 16-18. A rigorous evaluation of the ChalleNGe program employing random assignment has demonstrated that the program has positive effects on educational attainment and employment. The cost-benefit analysis presented in this document estimates that those and other program effects yield $25,549 ($2010) in social benefits per individual admitted to the program, or $2.66 in social benefits for every dollar expended for a return on investment of 166 percent. The program's benefits accrue mostly in the form of higher lifetime earnings attributable to higher levels of educational attainment induced by the program. Under baseline assumptions, this cost-benefit analysis suggests continued operation of existing ChalleNGe sites will yield substantial net benefits to program participants and society at large. This quantitative finding supports public investment in the ChalleNGe program as currently operated and targeted. Details: Arlington, VA: RAND Corporation, 2012. 68p. Source: Technical Report: Accessed April 15, 2012 at Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 124967 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisHigh School DropoutsIntervention Programs |
Author: Rogerson, Michelle Title: The Impact of Target Hardening on Burglary in Liverpool: A Report to Liverpool Citysafe Summary: The purpose of this study was ‘to improve the understanding of the cost benefits of target hardening in Liverpool, and to inform strategic and operational planning and investment for future burglary prevention work’. The report examines the impact of target hardening on domestic burglary in Liverpool between July 2005 and December 2007. Information on target hardening was supplied by Liverpool Citysafe. Three sources of target hardening funding were identified, namely, Liverpool Citysafe, Liverpool Housing Market Renewal Initiative (HMRI), and Liverpool Neighbourhood Renewal Initiative (NRI) The research questions fell into four categories, and these were: • Description of the characteristics of the location of burglary and target hardening • Assessment of the relationship between burglary and target hardening • Examination of the impact of target hardening on burglary • Priorities for the future deployment of target hardening. Details: Huddersfield, UK: University of Huddersfield, 2009. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2012 at: http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/9627/1/Microsoft_Word_-_TH_Final_Report_June_2008_Liverpool_Citysafe.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/9627/1/Microsoft_Word_-_TH_Final_Report_June_2008_Liverpool_Citysafe.pdf Shelf Number: 125111 Keywords: Burglary (Liverpool)Cost-Benefit AnalysisSituational Crime PreventionTarget Hardening |
Author: Waller, Mark S. Title: Benton County Adult Drug Treatment Court: Process, Outcome, and Cost Evaluation: Final Report Summary: Drug courts are designed to guide offenders identified as drug-addicted into treatment that will reduce drug dependence and improve the quality of life for the offenders and their families. Benefits to society include substantial reductions in crime, resulting in reduced costs to taxpayers and increased public safety. In late 2009, the Benton County Adult Drug Treatment Court (BCADTC) received a program grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance. This grant included funds for evaluation. NPC Research was contracted to perform a process, outcome and cost evaluation. The process study included an examination of BCADTC practices in relation to the 10 Key Components of drug court (NADCP, 1997) and recommendations for enhancements to the program to meet research based best practices results. The outcome evaluation included a criminal justice recidivism study comparing outcomes for drug treatment court participants to a matched group of offenders who were eligible for the program but did not participate. Outcomes were examined for up to five years after drug treatment court entry. The cost evaluation was a cost-benefit analysis that calculated the cost of the program and the costs of participant and comparison group criminal justice related outcomes including rearrests, court cases, time on probation, in jail and in prison. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2011. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 7, 2012 at: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Benton_County_Adult_Drug_Treatment_Court_Final_Report_1211.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Benton_County_Adult_Drug_Treatment_Court_Final_Report_1211.pdf Shelf Number: 125493 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Courts (Oregon)Drug OffendersDrug Treatment ProgramsProblem-Solving Courts |
Author: Estep, Ben Title: Economic Study of Integrated Family Support Programme (IFS) Summary: nef consulting (the consultancy arm of UK think thank the new economics foundation) was asked in March 2012 to assess the potential socio-economic impact of the Prison Advice and Care Trust’s Integrated Family Support (IFS) programme. This assessment focuses on the economic impact of the work carried out by the programme on behalf of prisoners and their families. Our research is based on case studies, administrative data provided by the programme and interviews with programme staff. There is a sizeable body of literature on the varied needs of prisoners and their families and a growing recognition that these needs, particularly those related to the maintenance of productive family ties, are closely associated with successful resettlement. The importance of prisoner and family support work is underscored by the rapidly growing prison population. At the time of writing, there are just under 87,000 people in prison in England and Wales, an increase of 23 per cent over the last ten years and a population that has nearly doubled over the last two decades. Whilst delivering economic savings is not the primary motivation of IFS, in a climate of both reduced social spending and increasing prison populations this is an important and under-evidenced question to consider. For purposes of this analysis, we focus on IFS work in three prisons: HMP Swansea, HMP Wandsworth, and HMP Eastwood Park, and in three different areas: visits (including help arranging and supporting visits between offenders and their families and intermediary work between offenders and families); support to families (including provision of information, emotional support, referral to services and interfacing with social services); and resettlement-focused help (including housing and employment support, and benefits and debt advice). Based on our review of the support that IFS offers and accounting for multiple scenarios, we estimate that IFS delivers potential benefits to the State of between £515,465 and £3,479,294 over a one year period. Based on an annual cost per programme site of £40,368 in London and £35,972 elsewhere, and using our middle estimate, this represents a value of £1,281,240 or return of £11.41 for every £1 invested. The predominant source of this impact is in cost savings from reductions in reoffending due to IFS work toward the encouragement and supporting of visits, and the consequent maintenance of family ties. Potential social and health care savings related to prisoner’s families have also been identified, as well as cost avoidance based on resettlement-focused planning. It is worth noting that there are a number of other probable impacts connected to IFS that are beyond the scope of this study, and the existing literature, to capture. This includes the future potential positive impacts on children and their life chances, amongst others. This assessment demonstrates that IFS provides good value for money for the taxpayer. As IFS’s work continues, we would encourage recording client outcomes systematically and longitudinally in order to evidence the socio-economic impact of the programme. The way in which the support offered contributes separately and collectively to changes for offenders and families is in need of deeper investigation. A better understanding of the way in which individual IFS sites are developing their model to create change will both contribute to the on-going development of the programme and help its wider impact. This conservative assessment has been prepared using a portfolio analysis approach informed by Social Return on Investment (SROI) principles and cost-benefit analysis. Beyond the areas of support on which we focus here, case studies and conversations with IFS staff, as well as evidence in the research literature, suggests that IFS’s work also has a material impact on the well-being of prisoners and families. Moving forward, IFS may consider adopting a full social value analysis which could help evidence and value these additional benefits. Details: London: nef (new economics foundation), 2012. 35p Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 16, 2012 at: http://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/files/nef_Pact%20IFS%20Economic%20study.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/files/nef_Pact%20IFS%20Economic%20study.pdf Shelf Number: 125593 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisFamilies of Inmates (U.K.)Prisoner ReentryPrisonersVisitation |
Author: Minnesota. Department of Corrections Title: An Outcome Evaluation of the InnerChange Freedom Initiative in Minnesota Summary: This study evaluated the effectiveness of the InnerChange Freedom Initiative (InnerChange), a faith-based prisoner reentry program, by examining recidivism outcomes among 732 offenders released from Minnesota prisons between 2003 and 2009. Results from the Cox regression analyses revealed that participating in InnerChange significantly reduced reoffending (rearrest, reconviction, and new offense reincarceration), although it did not have a significant impact on reincarceration for a technical violation revocation. The findings further suggest that the beneficial recidivism outcomes for InnerChange participants may have been due, in part, to the continuum of mentoring support some offenders received in both the institution and the community. The results imply that faith-based correctional programs can reduce recidivism, but only if they apply evidence-based practices that focus on providing a behavioral intervention within a therapeutic community, addressing the criminogenic needs of participants, and delivering a continuum of care from the institution to the community. Given that InnerChange relies heavily on volunteers and program costs are privately funded, the program exacts no additional costs from the State of Minnesota. Yet, because InnerChange lowers recidivism, which includes reduced reincarceration and victimization costs, the program may be especially advantageous from a cost-benefit perspective. Details: St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Corrections, 2012. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 3, 2012 at: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/publications/documents/2-12-DOC_IFI_Evaluation.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/publications/documents/2-12-DOC_IFI_Evaluation.pdf Shelf Number: 125859 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisFaith-Based Correctional ProgramsMentoringPrisoner ReentryRecidivismRehabilitationReligion |
Author: Schochet, Peter Z. Title: National Job Corps Study and Longer-Term Follow- Up Study: Impact and Benefit-Cost Findings Using Survey and Summary Earnings Records Data Summary: Job Corps stands out as the nation’s largest, most comprehensive education and job training program for disadvantaged youths. It serves disadvantaged youths between the ages of 16 and 24, primarily in a residential setting. The program’s goal is to help youths become more responsible, employable, and productive citizens. Each year, it serves more than 60,000 new participants at a cost of about $1.5 billion, which is more than 60 percent of all funds spent by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on youth training and employment services. Because Job Corps is one of the most expensive education and training programs currently available to youths, DOL sponsored the National Job Corps Study (conducted from 1993 to mid-2004) to examine the effectiveness of the program. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR), was the prime contractor for the study, with subcontractors Battelle Human Affairs Research Centers and Decision Information Resources, Inc. (DIR). DOL subsequently contracted with MPR to examine longer-term earnings impacts and benefit-cost comparisons using the same Job Corps sample and earnings data from administrative records. The Job Corps evaluation was designed to address the following research questions: • How effective is Job Corps overall at improving the outcomes of its participants? Does the program increase educational attainment and literacy? Does it reduce criminal behavior and the receipt of welfare benefits? And, most importantly, does it improve postprogram employment and earnings? • Do Job Corps impacts differ across groups defined by youth and center characteristics and for residents and nonresidents? Do impacts differ by age, gender, race and ethnicity, arrest history, or educational level? Are impacts associated with center performance level, type of center operator, or center size? • Do program benefits exceed program costs? Is Job Corps a good investment of society’s resources? The Job Corps study is based on an experimental design where, from late 1994 to early 1996, nearly 81,000 eligible applicants nationwide were randomly assigned to either a program group, whose members were allowed to enroll in Job Corps, or to a control group, whose 6,000 members were not. The study research questions have been addressed by comparing the outcomes of program and control group members using survey data collected during the four years after random assignment and using administrative earnings records covering the ten years after random assignment (at which point sample members were between the ages of 26 and 34). This report is the final in a series of project reports presenting impact and benefit-cost findings from this large-scale random assignment evaluation of Job Corps.1 The report serves two main purposes. First, it presents an additional year of earnings impacts to those presented in the previous project report (Schochet and Burghardt 2005) and updates findings from the benefitcost analysis. Second, it places the earnings impact findings in perspective, by providing a comprehensive summary of key study findings across all project reports. Thus, this selfcontained report pulls together and interprets the main evaluation results from the past twelve years. Details: Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., 2006. 98p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 4, 2012 at: http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/National%20Job%20Corps%20Study%20and%20Longer%20Term%20Follow-Up%20Study%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/National%20Job%20Corps%20Study%20and%20Longer%20Term%20Follow-Up%20Study%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 126236 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisEmployment (U.S.)Ex-Offenders, EmploymentJob TrainingVocational Education and Training |
Author: Bechtel, Kristin Title: Dispelling the Myths: What Policy Makers Need to Know About Pretrial Research Summary: The for-profit bail bonding industry has relied upon several recent studies to make the claim that commercial surety bonds are the most effective type of pretrial release. This paper provides an overview of those studies and explains why they cannot be used for this purpose because they do not answer questions about the effectiveness of any one type of pretrial release over that of others. This paper also cautions policy makers when the for-profit bail bonding industry presents them with these studies, and concludes that researchers should engage in objective and methodologically sound research that informs cost-effective and evidence-based pretrial public policy. Details: Washington, DC: Pretrial Justice Institute, 2012. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 12, 2012 at http://www.pretrial.org/Reports/PJI%20Reports/Dispelling%20the%20Myths%20%28November%202012%29.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.pretrial.org/Reports/PJI%20Reports/Dispelling%20the%20Myths%20%28November%202012%29.pdf Shelf Number: 126919 Keywords: BailCommercial BondsCost-Benefit AnalysisCriminal Justice PolicyPretrial Release |
Author: Yamatani, Hide Title: The Program For Offenders: Comprehensive Evaluation and Cost/Benefit Analysis of a Community Corrections Facility Summary: Overall evaluation findings show that a community corrections facility located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania called The Program For Offenders (TPFO) is shown to be creating an environment of encouragement and accountability that has provided numerous offenders the opportunity to understand how to rebuild their lives and to become self-empowered and reintegrated members of the community. As a result, TPFO is providing the local region with preferable options as an alternative to prison or jail, and succeeding in achieving the mission of public safety and inmate reintegration. Following list of major findings attest to the fact that TPFO is a cost- efficient and highly effective organization. A. High utility of programs offered by TPFO Nearly all of the in-house programs offered by TPFO were appraised as better appreciated at 6-month post release period than initial ratings at the 30-day period. This positive change (from an average of 75% to 83.1% across 11 major program ratings) is more than likely due to their increased opportunity to incorporate what they gained or learned through the TPFO programs 6-months post release compared to the first 30-days post release period. The programs rated as significantly helpful by 80% or more of the former inmates 6 months post release include: (1) Substance abuse rehabilitation; (2) Parenting skills; (3) GED/Adult basic education; (4) Life skills; (5) HIV/AIDS education; (6) Employment search; and (7) Computer literacy. B. Helpfulness of information and guidance A very similar pattern was also found in the evaluative ratings of various information and guidance they received from TPFO during their stay. The overall average positive rating increased from 73.2% to 81.1% between the 30-day and 6-month post-release periods. The programs rated as significantly helpful by 80% or more of the former inmates at 6 months post release include: (1) Drug or alcohol treatment; (2) Building/maintaining relationship with my child; (3) Accessing physical health care; (4) Counseling for emotional/mental health; (5) Finding means of transportation; (6) Finding legal assistance; and (7) Working on personal relationships. C. Successful community integration The living arrangement at 6 months post release from TPFO is encouraging: -- Six out of ten former inmates were residing in own house or apartment, -- Paying rent or mortgage (78.0%); and -- A majority had resided only in one location (67.1%). An employment related profile of the former inmates at 6-months post release from TPFO were also positive: -- A majority (72.1%) of released inmates secure employment at some point after their release; 2 -- The average work hours per week and wage rate are 34.9 hours and $8.80 per hour, respectively; -- Unemployment rate at the 6-month point in time (not entire 6-month period) was 13.6%; and -- Nearly one out of six inmates enrolled in job- training program (16.3% during some time since release). C. Reduced D&A use A majority (66.3%) of the former inmates indicated that they remained clean and sober since leaving TPFO (down from 82.1% at post-30-days). During the previous 30 days of the 6 months after release, the distribution of individuals remaining abstinent across various drug and alcohol abuse is noticeably high. Most stayed away from drugs at the post-6-month period, except for alcohol use to intoxication, and use of cocaine/crack, and marijuana/hashish. It is a positive sign that some time during the post 6-month period, a majority of the inmates (73%) attended AA or NA programs, and none of the former inmates have reported that they have injected drugs during the previous 30 days of the post-6-month period (improvement from 7.1% at the post 30-day assessment period). D. Positive Health Status Overall health status is rated as good to excellent by a high majority of the former inmates at the 6-month post release period (82.7%). Relatively few were using the inpatient, outpatient, or emergency room treatments for physical health complaints, mental or emotional difficulties or for alcohol or substance abuse (less than 9%). This is an improvement over the data from the post-30-day period in which the usage was higher-- outpatient treatment for mental or emotional difficulties (13.8%) and alcohol or substance abuse (17.8%). E: Accessing community-based services The top three types of services received by the former inmates at the time of 6-month survey mirrors the report at post 30-days, which includes AA or NA (54.3%) and family support (45.7%). There was a noticeable decline in other services, including mental health services (17.3% vs. 25.7% at post-30-days), drug/alcohol treatment programs (17.4% vs. 24.3% at post- 30-days), and faith-based programs/services (17.4% vs. 20.4% at post-30-days). Such a positive pattern indicates that the inmates are successfully becoming self-sufficient. F. Successful Recidivism Reduction The estimated annual recidivism rate achieved by TPFO is a noticeably low 14.5% based on the surveys and DOC based searches of the released inmates. Following five factors are suggested by the former inmates as the most important factors in keeping them out of jail: (1) not using drugs; (2) personal commitment to crime free behavior; (3) seeing and being with children; (4) avoiding certain people/situation; and (5) having a job. 3 G. Total Annual Benefits Generated by TPFO exceeds $6.9 million In reference to the total annual benefits generated by TPFO (cost savings, value added cost by TPFO, and aggregate wage) exceed $6.9 million. The cost-benefit ratio is four fold (4.09) -- for every dollar spent on contracting TPFO service, the average return is approximately $4.09. H. Need to raise the County reimbursement rate The inmate reimbursement rate should be set at $70.77 per day per inmate. This rate includes current county reimbursement rate plus additional costs covered by TPFO, including expenditure of providing social and human services. Based on ACJ's most recent data, the estimated cost per inmate per day is $77.75 (without value added costs of social/human services through ACJ Collaborative) compared to $70.77 per day for TPFO, including the value added costs of social/human services. In conclusion, the former inmates are highly convinced that the TPFO is accomplishing its seven major goals: (1) criminal behavior rehabilitation-- positive attitude about crime free behavior; (2) recidivism rate reduction-- avoiding going back to jail; (3) personal growth/development-- life and social skills development; (4) family relationship enhancement-- family support, parenting skills, reunification, reduction of CYF involvement; (5) economic empowerment-- taking job-training opportunities, actively seeking or keeping employment; (6) self-sufficiency-- minimizing dependence on others’ generosity, self-driven initiatives, willingness to help others; and (7) transition back to the community. Details: Pittsburgh, PA: Excellence Research, Inc., 2012. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 29, 2012 at: http://static.nicic.gov/Library/026637.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://static.nicic.gov/Library/026637.pdf Shelf Number: 127029 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationCommunity Based Corrections (U.S.)Cost-Benefit Analysis |
Author: Matrix Evidence Title: Break-Even Analysis of T2A Intervention for Young Adults Summary: Young adults, aged between 18 and 24, account for a disproportionate amount of offending, providing a prima facie case for providing services aimed specifically at reducing the level of reoffending by these young people. However, the Criminal Justice System (CJS) does not distinguish between the needs of young adults and older adults when implementing interventions aimed at reducing reoffending. The youth justice system applies to young people up to age 17, but once young people reach 18 years old they are considered adults and essentially treated the same as older adults. The Barrow Cadbury Trust’s ‘Transition to Adulthood’ (T2A) programme funds several pilot schemes that provide services to young adult offenders with the ultimate aim of reducing the likelihood of reoffending. We undertook a ‘break-even’ analysis of the T2A programme. In other words, we identified the impact that the programme would need to have on reducing reoffending in order to pay for itself. The key findings are • If set-up costs of the programme pilot are excluded, the programme would have to reduce of reoffending of 6.1% to pay for itself. This equates to between one and two offences per average young adult (specifically a reduction of 1.4 offences from approximately 39 offences over the future lifetime to 37 after the intervention). • If set-up costs are included, the required reduction in reoffending would need to be to 7.3% (or a reduction of 1.7 offences per average young adult). • A comparison of these reductions with those found in a previous study we conducted suggests that such impacts (6.1% and 7.3%) are feasible. These levels are equivalent to 1,540 (excluding set-up costs) and 1,828 (including set-up costs) offences being prevented over the lifetime of the 1,071 young adults benefiting from the pilot. These result in an average saving per young adult over their future lifetime due to the T2A programme of £1,416 and £1,680 respectively. The actual break-even point required might actually be different to that estimated in our model for several reasons, such as: • where the young adult is in the CJS, if at all; • the level of risk of the young people who participate in the T2A programme; and • whether costs of volunteer time in would need to be paid for. Details: London: Barrow Cadbury Trust, 2009. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 1, 2012 at: Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 127085 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisIntervention ProgramsRehabilitationTransition to Adulthood ProgramYoung Adult Offenders (U.K.) |
Author: Minnesota. Department of Corrections Title: An Outcome Evaluation of Minnesota Circles of Support and Accountability (MnCoSA): Preliminary Results from a Randomized Experiment Summary: In 2008, the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) implemented MnCoSA, a sex offender reentry program based on the COSA model developed in Canada during the 1990s. Using a randomized experimental design, the DOC evaluated the effectiveness of MnCoSA by conducting a cost-benefit analysis and comparing recidivism outcomes in the MnCoSA (N = 31) and control groups (N = 31). The average follow-up period for the 62 offenders in this study was nearly two years. KEY FINDINGS • Compared to sex offenders in the control group, MnCoSA participants had lower rates of recidivism for all five measures. o Rearrest: 39% MnCoSA vs. 65% Control No MnCoSA participants were rearrested for a new sex offense compared to one sex offender in the control group o Reconviction: 26% MnCoSA vs. 45% Control o New Offense Reincarceration: 10% MnCoSA vs. 26% Control o Technical Violation Revocation: 48% MnCoSA vs. 68% Control o Any Reincarceration: 48% MnCoSA vs. 61% Control • Participation in MnCoSA significantly decreased three of the five measures of recidivism. The reductions in recidivism risk were: o 62 percent for rearrest o 72 percent for technical violation revocation o 84 percent for any return to prison • Due to less recidivism, MnCoSA has reduced costs to the State of Minnesota. o MnCoSA has produced an estimated $363,211 in costs avoided o The benefit per MnCoSA participant is $11,716 o For every dollar spent on MnCoSA, the program has generated a benefit of $1.82 (an 82 percent return on investment). Details: St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Corrections, 2012. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2012 at: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/publications/documents/9-12MnCOSAOutcomeEvaluation.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/publications/documents/9-12MnCOSAOutcomeEvaluation.pdf Shelf Number: 127196 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisPrisoner ReentryRandomized ExperimentRecidivismSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders (Minnesota, U.S.) |
Author: Drake, Elizabeth Title: Chemical Dependency Treatment for Offenders: A Review of the Evidence and Benefit-Cost Findings Summary: The Washington State Institute for Public Policy was directed by the 2012 Legislature to review whether chemical dependency treatment in the adult and juvenile justice systems reduces crime and substance abuse. The Institute was also asked to estimate the monetary benefits and costs of these programs. We conducted a systematic review of research studies to determine if, on average, these programs have been shown to reduce crime. To narrow our review of this vast literature, we focused on the type of chemical dependency programs funded by Washington taxpayers. We located 55 unique studies with sufficient research rigor to include in our review. Programs for adult offenders have been evaluated more frequently than for juveniles. Of the 55 studies, 45 evaluated treatments delivered to adults while only 10 were for juveniles. Our findings indicate a variety of chemical dependency treatments are effective at reducing crime. Recidivism is reduced by 4-9%. Some programs also have benefits that substantially exceed costs. We found that community case management for adult substance abusers has a larger effect when coupled with “swift and certain.” This finding is consistent with an emerging trend in the criminal justice literature—that swiftness and certainty of punishment has a larger deterrent effect than the severity of punishment. Details: Olympia, WA: Washignton State Institute for Public Policy, 2012. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 5, 2013 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/12-12-1201.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/12-12-1201.pdf Shelf Number: 127838 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrub Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders (U.S.) |
Author: Lauridsen, Jorgen T. Title: A Spatial Panel Data Analysis of Crime Rates in EU Summary: The study investigates selected factors affecting crime rates in the EU-15 countries during the years 2000 to 2007 with an especial focus on inflation rate, level of education, income and employment. While these topics have been investigated in former studies, the present study adds by introducing spatial panel data methods to the case. Regarding the effects of these factors, the present study obtains results comparable to those from former studies, whereby the robustness of these are confirmed. Details: Odense, Denmark: Department of Business and Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, 2013. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Papers on Business and Economics No. 2/2013: Accessed March 26, 2013 at: http://static.sdu.dk/mediafiles//A/2/1/%7BA21BF15B-1A84-4BA6-B4A7-3AAA6E3FA6AC%7Ddpbe2_2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Europe URL: http://static.sdu.dk/mediafiles//A/2/1/%7BA21BF15B-1A84-4BA6-B4A7-3AAA6E3FA6AC%7Ddpbe2_2013.pdf Shelf Number: 128139 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCrime Rates (Europe)Crime StatisticsEconomics and CrimeEducationEmployment |
Author: Great Britain. Comptroller and Auditor General Title: Police Procurement Summary: Although the 43 police forces in England and Wales and the Home Office are making savings in the procurement of goods and services for the forces and are implementing initiatives to improve value for money, many opportunities remain unexploited. Police forces procure a wide range of goods and services, from uniforms and police vehicles to estate and facilities management services such as cleaning, spending some £1.7 billion in 2010-11. The Department oversees the police service, and central government provides most of its funding, but individual forces have traditionally bought many goods and services independently. With central government funding being reduced by some £2 billion in real terms over the spending review period, however, the Home Office has taken a role in providing leadership and support to help forces improve their procurement and make savings. Many forces are now working with others to improve their buying power and make administrative savings, but most collaborations involve few forces and nearly half of all forces still have independent procurement teams. Some forces have set up regional or national approaches to purchase common goods and services which many other forces take advantage of. However, common specifications for many types of goods and services do not exist, which reduces scope for collaborative buying. The NAO found at least nine separate specifications for each of five common types of equipment used by police officers, such as boots, body armour and high-visibility jackets. The NAO estimates forces could save up to a third of their costs in such areas, for example by agreeing a common specification for a uniform, such as that agreed by the Prison Service. The Home Office’s efforts so far have been hampered by the lack of timely, accurate and detailed data, with national level data collection enjoying limited success and expenditure data up to two years out of date. This makes it difficult for it to target its interventions. Forces also reported mixed views about the support the Department provides. It has set up frameworks for body armour and vehicles which forces are legally compelled to use, and forces are on the whole positive about these, but it has been slow to build on this despite support from two-thirds of forces for further mandatory frameworks. There are also tensions between the Department’s strategy to increase procurement at a national level, and its reforms to increase local accountability, such as the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners. The Department, forces and Commissioners will need to work together more effectively to identify and deliver further savings, particularly given the need to minimize the impact that cost reductions have on frontline policing. Details: London: National Audit Office, 2013. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 30, 2013 at: http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/10092-001-Police-procurement.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/10092-001-Police-procurement.pdf Shelf Number: 128165 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticePolice AdministrationPolice ManagementPolice ProcurementPolicing (U.K.) |
Author: Weiss, Alexander Title: City of Holland, Michigan Public Safety Services Summary: In January 2009, the City of Holland, Michigan engaged a consultant to examine the delivery of public safety services in Holland. The city asked the consultants to perform a number of tasks including: • An evaluation of the management structure of the police and fire departments to determine potential consolidation of public safety management services. • A comprehensive look at both police and fire schedules to determine alternative schedules that may be more cost effective and productive. • An evaluation of developing a fully comprehensive public safety department including top management and day‐to‐day operations. • An evaluation of emergency medical services as currently provided by the fire department and alternatives to providing these services. • Evaluate support services within the police and fire departments to determine operational efficiencies and potential service provided by civilian vs. sworn police and fire officers. • Evaluate possible cooperative public safety services delivery opportunities with adjacent governmental units. • Outline procedure for implementation. • Outline cost evaluations and savings of various alternatives. This report represents the results of our inquiry. It is based on a number of sources of information including: • Extensive interviews with management and staff of the police and fire departments • Review of performance data from the police and fire departments, and from AMR the community’s EMS provider • A focus group of community leaders and key public safety stakeholders • A community forum open to the general public • Interviews with officials from neighboring jurisdictions • Site visits to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. In addition, we were aided in our work by an outstanding advisory committee composed of two members of the Holland City Council, the city’s human resource and finance directors, the interim police and fire chief, two captains from the police department, three captains from the fire department, and two representatives of the police union and the fire union. Details: Evanston, ILL: Alexander Weiss Consulting, 2010. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 30, 2013 at: http://www.alexanderweissconsulting.com/pdf/AWC_CityofHollandFinalReport.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.alexanderweissconsulting.com/pdf/AWC_CityofHollandFinalReport.pdf Shelf Number: 128166 Keywords: ConsolidationCost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticePolice DepartmentsPolicingPublic Safety Services (Holland, Michigan, U.S.) |
Author: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (U.K.) Title: Alcohol-Use Disorders: Preventing Harmful Drinking. Costing Report: Implementing NICE Guidance Summary: This costing report looks at the costs associated with alcohol-use disorders for the following: healthcare crime and antisocial behaviour employee absence potential savings achievable by preventing hazardous and harmful drinking. It uses the most accurate data available and was produced in conjunction with the technical team at NICE and consulted on with external experts. Details: London: NICE, 2010. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2013: http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/13001/49071/49071.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/13001/49071/49071.pdf Shelf Number: 128616 Keywords: Alchol AbuseAlcohol Related Crime, DisorderCost-Benefit Analysis |
Author: Ludwig, Jens Title: Preventing Youth Violence and Dropout: A Randomized Field Experiment Summary: Improving the long-term life outcomes of disadvantaged youth remains a top policy priority in the United States, although identifying successful interventions for adolescents – particularly males – has proven challenging. This paper reports results from a large randomized controlled trial of an intervention for disadvantaged male youth grades 7-10 from high-crime Chicago neighborhoods. The intervention was delivered by two local non-profits and included regular interactions with a pro-social adult, after-school programming, and – perhaps the most novel ingredient – in-school programming designed to reduce common judgment and decision-making problems related to automatic behavior and biased beliefs, or what psychologists call cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). We randomly assigned 2,740 youth to programming or to a control group; about half those offered programming participated, with the average participant attending 13 sessions. Program participation reduced violent-crime arrests during the program year by 8.1 per 100 youth (a 44 percent reduction). It also generated sustained gains in schooling outcomes equal to 0.14 standard deviations during the program year and 0.19 standard deviations during the follow-up year, which we estimate could lead to higher graduation rates of 3-10 percentage points (7-22 percent). Depending on how one monetizes the social costs of crime, the benefit-cost ratio may be as high as 30:1 from reductions in criminal activity alone. Details: Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2013. 81p. Source: Internet Resoruce: NBER Working Paper 19014: Accessed May 9, 2013 at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w19014 Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w19014 Shelf Number: 128689 Keywords: At-risk YouthCost-Benefit AnalysisDelinquency Prevention (U.S.)Education and CrimeSchool AttendanceSchool Dropouts |
Author: Flick, Peg Title: H.B.10-1352 Savings Analysis Report: First 12 Months of Implementation. Pursuant to 24-33.5-503(1)(u), C.R.S. Summary: In May 2010 the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 10-1352 which substantially altered Article 18, Title 18, concerning Uniform Controlled Substances. The intent of H.B.10-1352 as specified in its legislative declaration was to generate savings from reduced crime classifications and their resulting sentences, and direct those savings into substance abuse treatment. H.B.10-1352 created a distinction between drug use and possession, and the crimes of manufacturing and distribution. Specifically, the bill lowered the crime classification for use and possession crimes, and directed expected savings to the state’s Drug Offender Treatment Fund. H.B.10-1352 also increased the Drug Offender Surcharge for felony, misdemeanor, and petty offenses. H.B.10-1352 directs the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) to report annually on the savings generated by its modifications (24-33.5-503(u), C.R.S.). The statute went into effect on August 11, 2010. This report analyzes the savings realized in first 12 months after its enactment. This analysis attempts to measure the impact of H.B.10-1352 outlined in its fiscal note by comparing the cost of offenders sentenced in the initial 12 month period after the bill’s enactment date to the cost of offenders in the 12 months prior. To be included in this analysis, an offender had to be arrested on or after August 11, 2010 and be filed on, convicted and sentenced on or before August 10, 2011. Cases meeting these same criteria in 2009 were used as the comparison group. Court records for offenders were obtained from the Judicial Branch and from Denver County Court to build a model that tracked offenders meeting the criteria. Sentence start and end dates were obtained from the Office of Community Corrections in the Division of Criminal Justice, and from the Department of Corrections. Caseload data were obtained from the Office of the State Public Defender. Costs per day data were obtained for each sentence placement type. This information was combined into the model to identify and then compare offender costs for pre- and post-1352 groups as each progressed through the justice system. Details: Colorado Springs, CO: Office of Research and Statistics Division of Criminal Justice, Colorado Department of Public Safety, 2012. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 13, 2013 at: http://www.colorado.gov/ccjjdir/Resources/Resources/Report/2012-01_HB1352Rpt.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.colorado.gov/ccjjdir/Resources/Resources/Report/2012-01_HB1352Rpt.pdf Shelf Number: 128699 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders (Colorado)Drug Policy |
Author: Flick, Peg Title: H.B.10-1352 Savings Analysis Report: First Two Years of Implementation Summary: In May 2010 the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 10-1352 which substantially altered Article 18, Title 18, concerning Uniform Controlled Substances. The intent of H.B.10-1352 as specified in its legislative declaration was to generate savings from reduced crime classifications and their resulting sentences, and direct those savings into substance abuse treatment. H.B.10-1352 created a distinction between drug use and possession, and the crimes of manufacturing and distribution. The bill lowered the crime classification for use and possession, and directed expected savings to the state’s Drug Offender Treatment Fund. H.B.10-1352 also increased the Drug Offender Surcharge for felony, misdemeanor, and petty offenses. H.B.10-1352 directed the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) to report annually on the savings generated by its modifications (24-33.5-503(u), C.R.S.). This final report analyzes the savings realized in the first two years after its implementation. This analysis measured the impact of H.B.10-1352 by comparing the cost of offenders sentenced in the initial two year period after the bill’s enactment to the cost of offenders sentenced in the two years prior. To be included in this analysis, an offender had to commit the offense on or after August 11, 2010 and be filed on, convicted, and sentenced on or before August 10, 2012. Cases meeting these same criteria from August 11, 2008 to August 10, 2010 were used as the comparison group. This analysis attempts to track the cost of all offender sentences. To do so, court records were obtained from the Judicial Branch and from Denver County Court. To supplement court records, sentence start and end dates were obtained from the Office of Community Corrections in the Division of Criminal Justice, and from the Department of Corrections. This information, combined with cost per day of each sentence placement, was used to determine the actual cost of offenders as they progressed through the system. In addition to actual cost, the cost of offender sentences if H.B.10-1352 had not passed was estimated. The savings generated by H.B.10-1352 presented in this report is the difference between the actual cost of sentences served and the estimated costs of the sentences they would have served had the bill not been enacted. Details: Colorado Springs, CO: Office of Research and Statistics Division of Criminal Justice, Colorado Department of Public Safety, 2013. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 13, 2013 at: http://www.colorado.gov/ccjjdir/Resources/Resources/Report/2013-03_HB1352Rpt.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.colorado.gov/ccjjdir/Resources/Resources/Report/2013-03_HB1352Rpt.pdf Shelf Number: 128700 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse PolicyDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders (Colorado) |
Author: Hakim, Simon Title: Cost Analysis of Public and Contractor-Operated Prisons Summary: As states continue to grapple with aging correctional facilities, overcrowding, underfunded retiree obligations and other constraints, new research from Temple University’s Center for Competitive Government finds that privately operated prisons can substantially cut costs – from 12 percent to 58 percent in long-term savings – while performing at equal or better levels than government-run prisons. Temple economics Professors Simon Hakim and Erwin A. Blackstone analyzed government data from nine states that generally have higher numbers of privately held prisoners (Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas), and Maine, which does not contract its corrections services. The professors calculated both short- and long-run savings per state, finding that contracted prisons generate significant savings without sacrificing quality. "Contracts between private-prison operators and state governments can be very precise in terms of the outcomes the state expects," said Hakim, director of Temple’s Center for Competitive Government, which is affiliated with the Fox School of Business. "And contractors have an incentive to overshoot the performance metrics established by the state – lest they lose out to a higher-performing company on the next contract bid." The study uses economic models to determine each state’s avoidable costs, which are compared to the contracted per diem rates charged by the private operators. The study also takes into account underfunded pensions and retiree healthcare costs – a critical issue, with the Pew Center on the States reporting in 2010 of a $1.38 trillion gap between states’ assets and their pension and healthcare retiree obligations. Details: Philadelphia: Center for Competitive Government, Temple University, 2013. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper: Accessed May 15, 2013 at: http://d3iovmfe1okdrz.cloudfront.net/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Cost-Analysis-of-Public-and-Contractor-Operated-Prisons-FINAL.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://d3iovmfe1okdrz.cloudfront.net/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Cost-Analysis-of-Public-and-Contractor-Operated-Prisons-FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 128732 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CorrectionsPrivate Prisons (U.S.)Privatization |
Author: Chiu, Tina Title: Building Cost-Benefit Analysis Capacity in Criminal Justice: Notes from a Roundtable Discussion Summary: Interest in using cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to help in criminal justice policymaking and planning has grown in recent years as state and local budgets have become increasingly strained. Most jurisdictions, however, have not been able to create a sustained capacity to produce and use CBA in decision making and budgeting. The Vera Institute of Justice organized a roundtable discussion to examine what factors might help jurisdictions build lasting capacity to use and perform CBA. (See “Roundtable Participants” on page 2 for a list of attendees and their affiliations.) The discussion highlighted the need for expertise in conducting cost-benefit studies. It also highlighted the need for trusted, credible organizations that can house this expertise. And participants talked about structures and processes that would help bring cost-benefit information to policymakers and integrate CBA as part of decision making. This document covers three areas to consider when building CBA capacity: organizations, staff, and processes. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2013. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 28, 2013 at: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/building-cost-benefit-analysis-capacity.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/building-cost-benefit-analysis-capacity.pdf Shelf Number: 128841 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeCriminal Justice Policy |
Author: Henrichson, Christian Title: A Guide to Calculating Justice-System Marginal Costs Summary: The costs and benefits of criminal justice policies and activities affect everyone. Understanding what goes into the costs of operating jails, prisons, probation and parole, courts, law enforcement agencies, treatment programs, and other segments of the criminal justice system is important for taxpayers, politicians, practitioners, and society as a whole. Any economic study of a justice-related investment needs to use the right cost information in its calculations. The type of cost used makes a difference in the accuracy of a study’s findings, as well as its relevance for policymaking, budgeting, and practice. Vera’s Cost-Benefit Knowledge Bank for Criminal Justice has published this guide to help technical users and general readers understand marginal cost—the amount of change in total cost when a unit of output changes. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2013. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 1, 2013 at: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/marginal-costs-guide.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/marginal-costs-guide.pdf Shelf Number: 128912 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal Justice (U.S.)Economics of Crime |
Author: Waller, Mark S. Title: Testing the Cost Savings of Judicial Diversion. Final Report Summary: Adopted in 1973 and named after then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller, the Rockefeller drug laws required lengthy prison sentences for felony-level drug sale and possession offenses. When punitive drug enforcement strategies peaked in late 1980s and early 1990s, as many as 10,000 drug offenders in New York were sentenced to state prison each year (10,785 in 1990). Reform legislation, adopted in April 2009, included several “judicial diversion” provisions that went into effect six months later, giving judges the discretion to link offenders charged with drug- or property-related felonies to treatment, primarily through New York’s existing network of drug courts. Drug courts seek to halt the revolving door of addiction and arrest by linking addicted offenders to drug treatment and rigorous judicial monitoring. Drug courts bring together judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, treatment providers and court staff in a collaborative effort to enforce compliance with court orders. Drug courts also use classic behavioral modifi cation strategies (swift and certain sanctions and incentives) that are designed to motivate substance abusers to maintain a drug-free and crime-free life. Key Findings Researchers at NPC Research and the Center for Court Innovation compared the change in treatment participation in the year before the reform took effect and the year after using publicly available case-level data in all 62 counties. For the cost-benefi t analysis, the researchers extrapolated to the entire state results obtained through an in-depth comparison of costs associated with court-ordered treatment and conventional case processing in 10 representative counties. Key fi ndings include: — Court-ordered treatment enrollment increased by 77 percent in the year after October 7, 2009, when the judicial diversion provisions of drug law reform went into effect. — Changes in treatment enrollment varied widely by region and county, indicating that the precise impact of Rockefeller drug law reform depends heavily on local culture and practice. For instance, enrollment increased by more than 200 percent in 13 of New York’s 62 counties and by 1 to 200 percent in 25 counties; enrollment remained the same in 6 and decreased in 18 counties. — The greatest increase in treatment enrollment took place in the suburbs of New York City, which saw a 728 percent increase—mostly stemming from a change from seven to 326 treatment participants in Nassau County and from 30 to 215 participants in Suffolk County. — Offenders sent to treatment consumed signifi cantly fewer criminal justice resources than similar offenders processed the year before judicial diversion went into effect. In particular, offenders sent to treatment spent signifi cantly fewer days than the comparison group on probation or jail sentences stemming from the initial criminal case and—due to reductions in re-offending over a three-year follow-up period—also spent fewer days serving prison sentences that stemmed from future criminal cases. — Those felony-level offenders who enrolled in treatment due to judicial diversion were a higher-risk/higher-need population (e.g., longer and more serious drug use history and more prior arrests and convictions) than the offenders who were enrolled in treatment previously. This trend puts New York State more closely in line with national research demonstrating that high-risk/high-need offenders are particularly suitable for intensive interventions such as drug courts. — Judicial diversion in New York will yield a projected net benefi t of $5,144 per offender over fi ve years, resulting in cost-benefi t ratio of 1 to 2. That is, for every taxpayer dollar invested in the program, there will be a $2 return in the form of criminal justice resources saved after 5 years. When victimization costs are included—representing the cost to crime victims whenever there is a property or violent crime—the net benefi t is $13,284 per offender, and the cost-benefi t ratio increases to a return of $3.56 per dollar spent. (Judicial diversion produces substantial victimization savings by reducing the quantity of new property crimes and crimes against persons.) As Testing the Cost Savings of Judicial Diversion documents, sending cases to treatment in lieu of incarceration or probation can free up signifi cant criminal justice resources. But only subsequent policymaker decisions can determine whether actual savings will be realized. Among other things, realizing cost savings depends on continuing to send a high volume of felony-level defendants to treatment. Details: New York: Center for Court Innovation; Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2013. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 25, 2013 at: http://www.courtinnovation.org/sites/default/files/documents/NY_Judicial%20Diversion_Cost%20Study.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.courtinnovation.org/sites/default/files/documents/NY_Judicial%20Diversion_Cost%20Study.pdf Shelf Number: 129152 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Offender Treatment ProgramsDrug OffendersJudicial DiversionRockefeller Drug Laws (New York, U.S.)Sentencing |
Author: Veisten, Knut Title: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Drug Driving Enforcement by the Police Summary: One of the deliverables in DRUID WP3 is a cost-benefit analysis (CBA), an assessment to what degree (increased) enforcement against driving under the influence of drugs is profitable in economic terms for the society, together with an assessment of which of the existing devices for such enforcement are more profitable. The policy goal of increased enforcement, targeting driving under the influence of psychoactive substances, would be to increase societies’ benefits (reduce societal costs) through a deterrence effect that should reduce prevalence and driving under the influence of psychoactive substances, and subsequently reduce the tolls of fatalities and injuries. This implicitly assumes that individual behaviour is affected by the increased presence of police at the roadside and/or the word-ofmouth of acquaintances being tested and/or that the particular driver is tested. While positive benefits in the CBA will be due mainly to an expected decrease in fatalities and injuries, there are other effects of an enforcement increase that will be counted as negative benefits, particularly the additional time use of the road users. The cost of increased enforcement against driving under the influence of drugs will comprise the costs of control equipment and police work, as well as additional medical and judicial costs in case of suspicions and convictions. Both costs and benefits may depend on the quality of the particular drug screening test device to be applied by the police. Even if the particular device selection normally is beyond the CBA, e.g., that some hypothetical/average device is assumed in the analysis, in the case of drug screening the selection of device might become more decisive for the results. Data are collected from the three participating countries: Belgium, Finland, and the Netherlands. Also the CBA is applied to these three countries. Applying these three countries as case studies may prove illustrative, in that they have different baseline levels of drug screening. Although the CBA model will have some limitation (stiffness) in terms of differentiating effects with respect to the baseline level, it will appear that the current control level will affect the outcome of the CBA. However, estimating the effect of control change on prevalence (the “deterrence effect”) is indeed a very complex issue, and the approach in our CBA must be regarded as fairly simplified. The input variables and different scenarios for the CBA are complex and must often be based partly on assumptions. The primary assumption relates to the deterrence effect. Firstly, the effect of increased enforcement will depend on the relative increase with respect to the reference level; the deterrence effect will most probably not be linear – there will be relatively less effect of higher increases. The quality of the device, its sensitivity (how good it is at detecting true positives), will affect the objective risk of being detected when tested for drugs. Cost figures for devices are generally not available from producers. Therefore we use a common unit price for the disposable devices. Based on information received, unit prices may be reduced substantially for large quantity purchases. We use the estimates for six different groups of drugs: amphetamines (including metaamphetamines), benzodiazepines, cocaine, medical opioids, opiates and cannabis. The selection of these six groups is based on the fact that these six are more or less the standard groups of drugs that are included in the on-site oral fluid screening devices for drugs. This report has been produced under the IP DRUID of the EU 6th Framework Program and reflects only the authors' view. The European Commission is not liable for any use of the information contained therein. Details: Gladbach, Germany: DRUID, 2011. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 18, 2013 at: http://www.druid-project.eu/cln_031/nn_107548/Druid/EN/deliverales-list/downloads/Deliverable__3__3__1,templateId=raw,property=publicationFile.pdf/Deliverable_3_3_1.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www.druid-project.eu/cln_031/nn_107548/Druid/EN/deliverales-list/downloads/Deliverable__3__3__1,templateId=raw,property=publicationFile.pdf/Deliverable_3_3_1.pdf Shelf Number: 129436 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDriving Under the Influence (Europe)Drugged Driving |
Author: Mulheirn, Ian Title: Paying for Results? Rethinking probation reform Summary: In May this year the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) produced the blueprint for its planned reforms of probation. This briefing note examines the detailed proposals for the payment by results element of the scheme. Payment by results, by which non state providers are supposed to be rewarded according to how much progress they make in cutting re-offending, is an essential part of the Ministry of Justice’s plan to improve the effectiveness of rehabilitation services as they face deep budget cuts. We use a financial simulation to examine the MoJ’s proposals as they look to an investor considering the chances that they will make a return on their investment in rehabilitation services. This demonstrates the problems posed by statistical uncertainty around measured levels of reoffending. Our results, using generous assumptions, show that: • Under the MoJ’s proposed payment structure, providers risk making losses if they spend money on rehabilitative services. • Providers can only be confident of being rewarded for their efforts if they achieve reductions in reoffending that are larger than the available evidence suggests is achievable, even with greater resources than are likely to be on offer under the new scheme. • The payment mechanism encourages providers to cut spending on services and allow reoffending to drift marginally upwards. • The proposed regime therefore creates strong perverse incentives: the opposite of how a PbR scheme should operate. • As they stand, the plans would offer poor value for money for taxpayers and should be radically revised before the scheme is rolled-out. We propose a number of solutions that would resolve the problems identified, improve incentives on providers, and offer much better value for money to the taxpayer. • The reward scheme should be simplified to pay (or penalise) on a per-person basis for any observed reduction (or increase) in re-offending below the baseline level of reoffending. This would ensure that providers have unambiguous incentives to invest in services that cut reoffending. Details: London: Social Market Foundation, 2013. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 12, 2013 at: http://www.smf.co.uk/files/7413/7603/8981/20130808_PBR_paper_FINAL.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.smf.co.uk/files/7413/7603/8981/20130808_PBR_paper_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 129621 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal Justice (U.K.)Criminal Justice ReformProbation |
Author: Oregon. Audits Division Title: Department of Corrections: Treatment of the Highest-risk Offenders Can Avoid Costs Summary: The effects of substance abuse on Oregon’s economy and communities are substantial. According to a report by the consulting firm ECONorthwest, the direct economic costs from substance abuse in Oregon totaled approximately $5.9 billion in 2006. Alcohol and drug enforcement costs alone were about $656 million. As of December 2012, 70% of incarcerated offenders had some level of substance abuse problem. Research indicates that addressing the treatment needs of offenders is critical to reducing overall crime and other societal issues related to substance abuse. Studies also show the importance of treating those offenders with the highest-risk of committing new crimes. Previous evaluations have determined that Department of Corrections (DOC) and county community corrections agencies’ practices are effective and align with best practices. Offenders are systematically assessed for factors known to influence future criminal behavior and these assessments are used in determining offender programming and treatment. Our analysis of offenders released during 2008-2011, found that most were assessed in the community and in prison, and most treatment resources were directed at the highest risk offenders. However, about half of all the highest-risk offenders did not receive treatment. Highest-risk offenders are those who have been assessed by DOC and community corrections agencies as having a medium-to-high risk to reoffend and a moderate-to-high substance abuse challenge. While these offenders are costly to supervise and treat in the community, about $16 a day, the cost is substantially less than the approximate $84 a day cost in prison. We found 4,525 of the offenders assessed as highest-risk who were released from 2008-2011 did not receive treatment. We estimate Oregon taxpayers and victims could have avoided about $21.6 million in costs if substance abuse treatment had been provided to all of the highest-risk offenders. We found variations in funding and treatment efforts among counties. These variations are often due to funding shortfalls and differences in available community corrections services. The expansion of Medicaid eligibility under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which becomes effective in January 2014, offers an opportunity for the State and local community corrections agencies to provide substance abuse treatment to untreated highest-risk offenders, despite current funding limitations. Once the expansion becomes effective, additional released offenders may qualify for coverage. Under the ACA, the federal government will cover almost the entire cost of the expansion population, starting at 100 % funding from 2014-2016 and gradually decreasing to a minimum of 90 % in 2020. This expansion of health care coverage has the potential to relieve financially-stressed counties of nearly all costs of providing substance abuse treatment to offenders in the community and to make treatment seamless following their release. We recommend that DOC management work with county community corrections agencies and the Legislature to coordinate funding and track resources to provide substance abuse treatment for the highest-risk offenders wherever possible. We also recommend that DOC management explore utilizing expanded Medicaid funding for substance abuse treatment for released offenders and consider integrating Medicaid eligibility review into release planning. Details: Salem, OR: Audits Division, 2013. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Report Number 2013-20: Accessed August 19, 2013 at: http://www.sos.state.or.us/audits/pages/state_audits/full/2013/2013-20.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.sos.state.or.us/audits/pages/state_audits/full/2013/2013-20.pdf Shelf Number: 129644 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CrimeCosts of Criminal JusticeDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentRisk AssessmentSubstance Abuse (Oregon, U.S.) |
Author: Bryan, Mark Title: Licensing and Regulation of the Cannabis Market in England and Wales: Towards a Cost-Benefit Analysis Summary: We agree with David Cameron's observation on drugs policy that "it would be very disturbing if some radical options were not at least looked at". Among the radical options that are often proposed is the creation of a system of licensed cannabis supply subject to taxation and regulation of supply and demand sides of the market. In this study, we consider a hypothetical reform of this kind and identify a long list of possible sources of net social cost and benefit that could result. We attempt to quantify them, using the concept of net external benefit as an evaluation criterion. Net external benefit is the total value in cash-equivalent terms of the costs and benefits that cannabis use imposes on society outside the user him/herself, and it therefore excludes the potential net benefits ('enjoyment') accruing to cannabis users in a reformed market. Our evaluation is consequently conservative in that it contains an inherent bias in favour of the prohibitionist status quo. In our view, it is impossible with available UK evidence to produce a credible estimate of net consumption benefits. Despite the bias this entails, it gives a far more reliable picture of the policy question than the many widely-cited estimates of the "social cost of drug use", which include internal costs (potential harms to drug users) but ignore completely the internal benefits which are the reason that recreational drugs are used in the first place. The estimates underpinning our evaluation should not be seen as predictions of what would happen if such a policy were to be introduced in some future period, since they relate to the market situation as it existed in England and Wales in 2009/10, and they abstract from any transitional adjustments (and any accompanying transitional cost). We have not attempted to extend the evaluation to cover Scotland or Northern Ireland, since most of the data resources available to us cover England and Wales only. In constructing the estimates, we consider a wide range of evidence and the difficulties involved in drawing conclusions from that evidence. We provide simple, largely subjective, quantitative indications of the degree of uncertainty involved in our estimates, some of which should be regarded as illustrative calculations rather than formal estimates. Our aim is not to produce a definitive cost-benefit analysis of a licensed and regulated cannabis market - which we believe to be impossible in the present state of knowledge - but to set out clearly the range of considerations that need to be considered in forming a view about this policy, and to indicate which aspects of the evaluation are likely to be critical to the outcome of a full cost-benefit analysis. Details: London: The Beckley Foundation; Colchester, UK; Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, 2013. 156p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 11, 2013 at: http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/BF-CANNABIS-CBA-REPORT.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/BF-CANNABIS-CBA-REPORT.pdf Shelf Number: 129956 Keywords: CannabisCost-Benefit AnalysisDrug MarketsDrug Policy (U.K.)Marijuana |
Author: Kissick, Katherine Title: Bexar County Felony Drug Court: Process, Outcome, and Cost Evaluation Final Report Summary: Drug courts are designed to guide offenders identified as drug-addicted into treatment that will reduce drug dependence and improve the quality of life for the offenders and their families. Benefits to society include substantial reductions in crime, resulting in reduced costs to taxpayers and increased public safety. In the typical drug court program, participants are closely supervised by a judge who is supported by a team of agency representatives operating outside of their traditional roles. The team typically includes a drug court coordinator, case managers, substance abuse treatment providers, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, law enforcement officers, and parole and probation officers who work together to provide needed services to drug court participants. Prosecuting and defense attorneys modify their traditional adversarial roles to support the treatment and supervision needs of program participants. Drug court programs blend the resources, expertise and interests of a variety of jurisdictions and agencies. Drug courts have been shown to be effective in reducing criminal recidivism (GAO, 2005), improving the psycho-social functioning of offenders (Kralstein, 2010), and reducing taxpayer costs due to positive outcomes for drug court participants (including fewer re-arrests, less time in jail and less time in prison) (Carey & Finigan, 2004; Carey, Finigan, Waller, Lucas, & Crumpton, 2005). Some drug courts have been shown to cost less to operate than processing offenders through business-as-usual in the court system (Carey & Finigan). The Bexar County Felony Drug Court was implemented in January 2004. This program, which is designed to last for 18 months, takes only post-conviction participants. The general program population consists of nonviolent offenders currently on probation assessed as high risk and high needs. It has a capacity to serve approximately 225 participants at one time. In 2009, the Bexar County Felony Drug Court (BCFDC) received a program enhancement grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The program is using this enhancement grant in working towards three goals: 1) obtaining "on-demand" residential beds intended to treat 50 participants each year, 2) receiving training and technical assistance to improve the program, and 3) conducting a program evaluation including process, out-come and cost components. NPC Research performed an initial process assessment of the program as part of a technical assistance program through SAMHSA and completed a report in May of 2010. Midway through the 3-year grant, the BCFDC hired NPC Research to conduct a full process, outcome, and cost evaluation of the program. The process evaluation included in this report provides updated information from the assessment conducted in 2010 as well any changes made to the program since. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2013. 91p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 4, 2013 at: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Bexar_County_Final_Report_0913.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Bexar_County_Final_Report_0913.pdf Shelf Number: 131736 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Courts (U.S.)Felony Drug OffendersProblem Solving Courts |
Author: World Health Organization. Region Office for Europe Title: Evidence for the Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Interventions to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harm Summary: There is a substantial evidence base on the effectiveness of different policies in reducing the harm done by alcohol. Policies that regulate the economic and physical availability of alcohol are effective in reducing alcohol-related harm. Enforced legislative measures to reduce drinking and driving and interventions individually directed to drinkers already at risk are also effective. The evidence shows that information and education programmes do not reduce alcohol-related harm; nevertheless, they have a role in providing information, reframing alcohol-related problems and increasing attention to alcohol on the political and public agendas. In all parts of the European Union, population-based interventions represent a highly cost- effective use of resources to reduce alcohol-related harm. Brief interventions for individual high-risk drinkers are also cost-effective, but are harder to scale up because of their associated training and manpower needs. Details: Copenhagen: World Health organization Regional Office for Europe, 2009. 134p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 11, 2014 at: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/43319/E92823.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Europe URL: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/43319/E92823.pdf Shelf Number: 131847 Keywords: Alcohol AbuseAlcohol-Related Crime, DisorderCost-Benefit Analysis |
Author: Dank, Meredith Title: Legalization of Recreational Marijuana in Washington: Monitoring Trends in Use Prior to the Implementation of I-502 Summary: The Washington State Institute for Public Policy is directed to conduct a benefit-cost analysis of the implementation of I-502, which legalizes recreational marijuana use for adults within the state. As a preliminary step, we analyzed population-level data to begin monitoring four key indicators of marijuana use prior to implementation. We used data from the 2002 to 2011 administrations of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health to examine trends in the prevalence of current marijuana use, lifetime marijuana use, age of initiation, and marijuana abuse or dependency. We examined these trends separately for youth and adults in Washington, and also provide estimates for Colorado (the other state that has legalized recreational marijuana use) and the rest of the United States (US). Examining trends in this manner will allow us to monitor whether the implementation of I-502 appears to affect these key indicators of marijuana use over time. Although more sophisticated analyses will be required for us to evaluate the policy, these initial trends provide a baseline to compare future data against. Findings. The prevalence of marijuana use in the past 30 days - a key indicator of the proportion of people who are current marijuana users - appears to be on the rise in recent years among both youth and adults in Washington, Colorado, and the US. The other indicators of use appear to be relatively stable or increasing slightly over time. In general, the estimates from Washington are slightly higher than the US and slightly lower than Colorado. Next steps. We will continue to monitor these trends over time within the context of our larger benefit-cost analysis to examine whether the new policy appears to affect marijuana use rates within the state. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2013. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: (Document No. 13-11-1401): Accessed March 12, 2014 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1540/Wsipp_Legalization-of-Recreational-Marijuana-in-Washington-Monitoring-Trends-in-Use-Prior-to-the-Implementation-of-I-502_Full-Report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1540/Wsipp_Legalization-of-Recreational-Marijuana-in-Washington-Monitoring-Trends-in-Use-Prior-to-the-Implementation-of-I-502_Full-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 131885 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug LegalizationDrug Reform PolicyMarijuana |
Author: Matthies, Carl Title: Advancing the Quality of Cost-Benefit Analysis for Justice Programs Summary: The Cost-Benefit Knowledge Bank for Criminal Justice (CBKB), a project of Veras Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit, convened a working group of researchers and policymakers to help advance the use of rigorous cost-benefit analysis (CBA) in decisions about criminal justice programs and policies. Input from the working group helped shape this white paper, which describes and discusses the main methodological challenges to performing CBAs of justice investments. This technical paper is intended for anyone who conducts, plans to conduct, or wants to learn how to conduct a CBA of a justice-related policy or program. CBKB will soon publish a second white paper for a broader audience, Using Cost-Benefit Analysis for Justice Policymaking, which was also developed with guidance from the working group. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2014. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2014 at: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/advancing-the-quality-of-cba.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/advancing-the-quality-of-cba.pdf Shelf Number: 131977 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCriminal Justice Policy |
Author: Ubido, Janet Title: Prevention Programmes Cost-Effectiveness Review: Alcohol Summary: Alcohol harm cost the NHS $2.7 billion in 2006/07 (DH, 2008). Hospital inpatient and day visits are the greatest expense (1,190 million), followed by Accident and Emergency (A&E) visits (645.7 million) and ambulance services (372.4 million). NICE estimate that alcohol-related disease accounts for 1 in 26 NHS bed days nationally, and up to 40% of all A&E admissions nationally are thought to be alcohol related (HDA, 2005). Alcohol-related hospital admission rates are strongly associated with deprivation, with higher rates in more deprived local authorities (Morleo et al, 2010). The North West has six out of the top ten local authority areas with the highest rates of hospital admissions for alcohol related harm in people aged sixteen or over (NWPHO, 2010). The review: This cost effectiveness review on alcohol presents evidence on interventions at three levels: - primary prevention (including education programmes); - secondary prevention, to detect the early stages of alcohol misuse (e.g. screening and brief interventions) and - tertiary prevention, including prevention or minimisation of relapse The review does not cover drug treatments when used exclusively, or surgical interventions. Direct NHS interventions, such as screening for alcohol harm in primary care, and indirect NHS interventions, including lobbying the government for a minimum unit price for alcohol, are included. Details: Liverpool: Liverpool Public Health Observatory, University of Liverpool, 2010. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Observatory Report Series, number 84 Cost effectiveness review series, number 2: Accessed March 20, 2014 at: http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/instituteofpsychology/publichealthobservatory/84_alcohol_cost_effectiveness_FOR_WEBSITE.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/instituteofpsychology/publichealthobservatory/84_alcohol_cost_effectiveness_FOR_WEBSITE.pdf Shelf Number: 131993 Keywords: Alcohol Related Crime, DisorderAlcoholismCost-Benefit Analysis |
Author: Goldschmidt, Pete Title: The Long-Term Effects of After-School Programming on Educational Adjustment and Juvenile Crime: A Study of the LA.s BEST After-School Program Summary: Widespread interest in the impact of after-school programs on youth development has increased dramatically over the past several years. Although research has investigated the short-term impact of programs on academic and social student development, there is limited research on the long-term effectiveness of after-school programs in lowering rates of juvenile crime. This study bridges that research gap and presents results from an evaluation of the effectiveness of LA's BEST - the largest urban-based, after-school program in Los Angeles County - on long-term academic achievement growth and juvenile crime. This research tracked the academic and juvenile crime histories for a sample of 6,000 students, 2,000 students participating in LA's BEST and 4,000 matched control students not participating in LA's BEST. We used multilevel propensity scores to match control to treatment students and applied multilevel longitudinal models and multilevel survival analyses methods to analyze the data. Results indicate that students' engagement in the program is a strong mediating factor of program effectiveness. The key element of positive program impact is student engagement, as indicated by a medium to high average monthly attendance, and by significant adult contact of at least one additional adult (volunteer) per day. Student participants, who attended sites with a higher average of adult volunteerism, demonstrate modest achievement gains compared to students who did not participate in LA's BEST. Likewise, students who consistently attended LA's BEST demonstrate a substantively significant reduction in the juvenile crime hazard compared to participants with inconsistent attendance, and compared to students in the control group. Benefit-cost analyses indicate that results are sensitive to assumptions regarding the value of avoided costs from prevented crimes. Details: Los Angeles: University of California, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), 2007. 177p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 19, 2014 at: http://www.lasbest.org/download/dept-of-justice-final-report Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.lasbest.org/download/dept-of-justice-final-report Shelf Number: 132087 Keywords: After-School ProgramsCost-Benefit AnalysisCrime PreventionDelinquency PreventionEducational ProgramsJuvenile Delinquency |
Author: Matthies, Carl Title: Putting a Value on Crime Analysts: Considerations for Law Enforcement Executives Summary: Like other government agencies, police departments are under great pressure to get the biggest return possible when investing taxpayers' dollars in justice programs and policies. The Law Enforcement Forecasting Group of the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance asked Vera to develop a resource to help police departments address questions about spending on crime analysts-and about justifying that spending. As part of its Cost-Benefit Knowledge Bank for Criminal Justice, Vera's Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit staff created this paper, which law enforcement agencies can use as they weigh their options on staffing and programs. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2014. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 14, 2014 at: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/putting-value-crime-analysts.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/putting-value-crime-analysts.pdf Shelf Number: 132349 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCrime Analysis |
Author: Burwick, Andrew Title: Costs of Early Childhood Home Visiting: An Analysis of Programs Implemented in the Supporting Evidence-Based Home Visiting to Prevention Child Maltreatment Initiative Summary: Home visiting programs offer a promising method for delivering support services to at-risk families and children and preventing child maltreatment. As interest grows in scaling up home visiting programs as a strategy to promote parent and child well-being and prevent child maltreatment, program implementers and policymakers are seeking more information about the costs of implementing these programs. The Cost Study of Evidence-Based Home Visiting Programs applied a uniform approach and common time frame to analyze costs among agencies implementing five different home visiting program models. The study assessed (1) the total cost of providing home visiting programs during a year of steady-state operation, (2) the allocation of annual costs among cost categories and program activities or components, (3) the cost to serve a participating family, and (4) variation in average costs across program models and other agency characteristics. Mathematica Policy Research and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago conducted the study with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and in collaboration with Casey Family Programs. It included agencies that participated in the Supporting Evidence-Based Home Visiting to Prevent Child Maltreatment (EBHV) initiative, a five-year grant program launched in 2008 by the Children's Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families at HHS. In 2011, the EBHV grant program was formally incorporated into the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) State Formula Grant Program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration of HHS. The cost study sample includes 25 implementing agencies (IA) that delivered home visiting services in 13 states.3 The IAs offered one of five home visiting program models: (1) Healthy Families America (HFA, 7 IAs), (2) the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP, 10 IAs), (3) Parents as Teachers (PAT, 3 IAs), (4) SafeCare (SC, 4 IAs), and (5) the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P, one IA). Most of the IAs (15 agencies) were private nonprofit organizations. Seven were state or county government agencies, and 3 were hospitals or medical centers. IAs located in urban areas (16 agencies) were more common than those located in suburban or rural areas (5 and 4 agencies, respectively). We analyzed program costs from the implementing agency's perspective. Costs include all resources used by an agency to deliver a program during a one-year period of "steady-state" operation (July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012), and cost estimates provide an indication of the resources that an agency would need in order to replicate a program at a similar scale in a similar context. To conduct the study, we collected three types of data from IAs: (1) data on resources used for program operations, to estimate total costs; (2) data on staff time use, to allocate costs among program components; and (3) data on the number of families served and their receipt of home visiting services, to estimate costs per family. The cost analysis was conducted using the "ingredient" or resource cost method, which involved itemizing the types of resources (or ingredients) needed to provide services, gathering information on the types and value of resources used by each agency during the study period, and aggregating costs to estimate total program costs (Levin and McEwan 2001). To represent more accurately the total resources required to implement a program, we incorporated costs not typically captured by budgets or accounting records, including donated resources such as volunteer time and in-kind contributions of services or materials, as well as the value of staff time spent on the program beyond normal working hours (and not reflected in salaries or fringe benefits). Details: Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research, 2014. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 17, 2014 at: http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/documents/Costs%20of%20EC%20Home%20Visiting.Final%20Report.January%2030%202014.2.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/documents/Costs%20of%20EC%20Home%20Visiting.Final%20Report.January%2030%202014.2.pdf Shelf Number: 132494 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentCost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeCrime Prevention ProgramsEvidence-Based PracticesHome Visiting Programs |
Author: Drake, Elizabeth Title: Inventory of Evidence-Based and Research-Based Programs for Adult Corrections Summary: A series of recent public policy reforms has moved Washington State toward the use of 'evidence-based' programs. The central concept behind these reforms is to identify and implement strategies shown through rigorous research to improve statewide outcomes (e.g., crime rates or high school graduation rates) cost-effectively. The 2013 Legislature passed a bill to facilitate the use of evidence-based programs in adult corrections. The legislation directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) to: - Develop terms to define evidence-based and research-based programs; - Create an inventory of adult correctional programs and classify those programs as evidence-based or research-based; and - Conduct additional systematic reviews where research evidence currently lacks. The legislation also directs the Department of Corrections (DOC) to determine if the programs it delivers are evidence-based or research-based according to the inventory developed by WSIPP. DOC is required to develop a plan to phase-out ineffective programs and implement evidence-based programs by 2015. This legislative assignment parallels another project approved by WSIPP's Board of Directors requiring WSIPP to expand its benefit-cost model into new topic areas (Medicaid, aging, homelessness, public health, and employment/workforce training). In addition to expanding our benefit-cost model, we will continue to update adult corrections programs and policies relevant to Washington State until the project ends in 2015. Section I of this report contains definitions for evidence-based and research-based programs. Updated systematic reviews are found in Section II. The adult corrections inventory is located in Section III of this report. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2013. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 30, 2014 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1542/Wsipp_Inventory-of-Evidence-Based-and-Research-Based-Programs-for-Adult-Corrections_Final-Report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1542/Wsipp_Inventory-of-Evidence-Based-and-Research-Based-Programs-for-Adult-Corrections_Final-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 132843 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsCost-Benefit AnalysisEvidence-Based PracticesPrisonsTreatment Programs |
Author: Gies, Stephen V. Title: Monitoring High-Risk Gang Offenders with GPS Technology: An Evaluation of the California Supervision Program: Final Report Summary: Despite the overall decline in violent crime nationally, gang violence rates throughout the country have continued at exceptional levels over the past decade. Therefore, it is vital for parole departments to have effective tools for maintaining public safety. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine the effectiveness of global positioning system (GPS) monitoring of high-risk gang offenders (HRGOs) who are released onto parole. This study integrates outcome, cost, and process evaluation components. The outcome component assesses the impact of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO) GPS supervision program by employing a nonequivalent-group quasi-experimental design, with a multilevel discrete-time survival model. A propensity score matching procedure is used to account for differences between the treatment and comparison groups. The study population is drawn from all HRGOs released from prison between March 2006 and October 2009 in six specialized gang parole units in the State of California. The final sample includes 784 subjects equally divided between the treatment and control groups. The treatment group consists of HRGOs who were placed on GPS monitoring, and the control group consists of matched gang offenders with a similar background. The resulting sample shows no significant differences between the groups in any of the propensity score matching variables. The effectiveness of the program is assessed using an intent-to-treat (known as ITT) approach, with two main outcomes of interest: compliance and recidivism. Compliance is measured through parole violations; recidivism is assessed using rearrests and rearrests for violent offenses. Each outcome is assessed with a survival analysis of discrete-time recidivism data, using a random intercept complementary log-log model. In addition, frailty modeling is used to account for the clustering of parolees within parole districts. The findings indicate that during the two-year study period, subjects in the GPS group, while less likely than their control counterparts to be arrested in general or for a violent offense, were much more likely to violate their parole with technical and nontechnical violations. Descriptive statistics and summary analysis revealed more GPS parolees were returned to custody during the study period. These results will be studied further in a forthcoming follow-up report. The cost analysis indicates the GPS program costs approximately $21.20 per day per parolee, while the cost of traditional supervision is $7.20 per day per parolee - a difference of $14. However, while the results favor the GPS group in terms of recidivism, GPS monitoring also significantly increased parole violations. In other words, the GPS monitoring program is more expensive, but may be more effective in detecting parole violations. Finally, the process evaluation reveals the GPS program was implemented with a high degree of fidelity across the four dimensions examined: adherence, exposure, quality of program delivery, and program differentiation. Details: Bethesda, MD: Development Services Group, 2013. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 23, 2014 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/244164.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/244164.pdf Shelf Number: 133120 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisElectronic MonitoringGangsGlobal Positioning Systems (GPS)Offender SupervisionParole SupervisionParolees |
Author: Heil, Peggy Title: Prison Sex Offender Treatment: Recommendations for Program Implementation Summary: Sexual offenses cause tremendous harm to the lives of victims, the victims' families and our communities. We recommend that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation implement the "containment approach" for managing sex offenders in prison and on parole. The containment approach is a comprehensive strategy that prioritizes victim protection and community safety. Prison treatment for sex offenders can be an effective component of the containment approach. Intense prison treatment can reduce recidivism and enhance community safety. It can also reduce the substantial costs (emotional and financial) associated with recidivism. Miller, Cohen and Wiersema (1996)1 estimated that child sexual abuse crimes costs victims and society $99,000 per victimization, and estimated $87,000 per rape/sexual assault victimization. These costs are estimated to be $140,531 and $123,497 in 2007 dollars. Ninety-percent of the costs are associated with significant reduction in the quality of life for victims of these crimes. Quantifying the costs of sexual victimization seems to trivialize it nonetheless. As Miller et al. (1996:14) state, "pain, suffering, and reduced quality of life do not have a market price and cannot be bought and sold." Certainly victims would pay dearly to avoid them, as would their families and members of the community. The following report details a prison sex offender treatment program plan that is designed to reduce recidivism and avoid the costs and immeasurable harm of sex crime victimization. It provides evidence-based sex offender treatment and management recommendations to increase community safety and decrease new sex crimes by known offenders. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) requested a document that describes an empirically based prison sex offender treatment program and provides recommendations for the development and implementation of such a program in the California prison system. Program recommendations are drawn from research and clinical experience. Where possible, materials from other programs are included in appendices to facilitate implementation. Details: Sacramento: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 2007. 567p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 23, 2014 at: http://www.casomb.org/docs/PSOT_CDCR_Report.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.casomb.org/docs/PSOT_CDCR_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 131049 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisEvidence-Based PracticesEvidence-Based ProgramsInmatesPrison ProgramsPrisonersSex Offender TreatmentSex OffendersTreatment Programs |
Author: Neyroud, Peter Title: Operation Turning Point: Interim report on a randomised trial in Birmingham, UK Summary: Operation Turning Point is a randomised controlled trial based in Birmingham, UK. The trial has been designed to compare the relative effectiveness and cost benefit of police prosecuting low harm offenders with a treatment, a "turning point contract", which combines a deferred prosecution with a set of conditions agreed with the offender, which are intended to support desistance. The 2 groups - control (prosecuted) and treatment (Turning Point) are allocated by random assignment by the Cambridge Gateway. The trial will be evaluated by comparing the control and treatment groups against their outcomes for prevalence and seriousness of offending and the cost-benefit of the two interventions. The trial, which has been implemented in stages, commencing in November 2011, is intended to run in the four Birmingham Local Policing Areas until Summer 2013. The research is part of a wider programme focused on reducing crime harm supported by the Monument Trust. This paper presents an interim report, describing the setting up of the trial and some emerging findings from the research. Details: Cambridge, UK: Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, 2013. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 28, 2014 at: http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/conferences/ebp/2013/slides/Operation_turningpoint_ebp2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/conferences/ebp/2013/slides/Operation_turningpoint_ebp2013.pdf Shelf Number: 129908 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDeferred ProsecutionDiversion ProgramsProsecution (U.K.) |
Author: Hanley, S. Title: Prevention Youth Substance Use: A Review of Thirteen Programs Summary: Initiative 502, passed by Washington voters in November 2012, legalized recreational marijuana use for adults in the state. The initiative directed WSIPP to evaluate the policy by considering benefits and costs across a number of key areas including public health, public safety, and criminal justice. As part of this assignment, we reviewed the evaluation literature on 13 youth prevention programs. These programs are on the state Department of Behavioral Health and Recoverys preliminary list of evidence-based programs with marijuana prevention outcomes. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2014. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: (Doc. No. 14-09-3201). Accessed September 27, 2014 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1562/Wsipp_Preventing-Youth-Substance-Use-A-Review-of-Thirteen-Programs_Report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1562/Wsipp_Preventing-Youth-Substance-Use-A-Review-of-Thirteen-Programs_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 133458 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDelinquency Prevention Drug Abuse and Addiction Drug Prevention Marijuana |
Author: Gorton, Joe Title: Evaluation of the Black Hawk County Mental Health Jail Diversion Programs Summary: This study presents an evaluation of the First Judicial District Department of Correctional Services mental health jail diversion program. The analysis examines both program efficacy and cost-benefits. The evaluation is based on analyses of both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data were collected from probation/parole and jail records of 482 offenders who participated in the program from 2007 through 2011. Qualitative data was derived from in-depth interviews of criminal justice officials and social service providers who are directly involved with the program. - Two-thirds of the inmates diverted into the mental health program were white males most of whom were younger than 30 years old. Women were under represented in the study population, however, they were significantly more likely to be placed in the diversion program. - For two-thirds of the diverted sample, the primary mental health diagnoses was a mood disorder (e.g., bi-polar, depressive, anxiety, etc.). Approximately one-fourth of the sample had a primary diagnoses of psychotic disorder. Schizophrenia, paranoid type was the most common psychotic condition. - Based on their LSI-R scores, 67.6 percent most of the diverted inmates were either a medium-high risk or high risk. For non-diverted inmates 61.9 percent were either medium-high risk or high risk. - Inmates with psychotic disorders were more likely to be diverted than offenders with less severe mental health problems. - Comparisons of arrest data for two years prior to being booked into jail and for two years of post-diversion indicate that the diversion program helps to reduce the likelihood of criminal recidivism. - Diverted inmates with a primary diagnosis of a psychotic disorder were significantly less likely to be arrested than diverted inmates who did not have a psychotic disorder. - The totality of quantitative findings indicate that Black Hawk County's mental health diversion program is effective at reducing criminal recidivism among mentally ill inmates - We estimate that diverted inmates served 15 fewer days in jail than non-diverted inmates. - The total estimate for annual cost savings produced by the mental health jail diversion program is $237,509. The annual net fiscal benefit of the program (without cost estimates for prosecutions, prison confinement , and taxpayer funded victimization programs) is estimated at $137,509. Details: Cedar Falls, IA: University of Northern Iowa, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, 2014. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2014 at: http://firstdcs.com/reports/2014.BHC%20MH%20Jail%20Diversion%20Program.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://firstdcs.com/reports/2014.BHC%20MH%20Jail%20Diversion%20Program.pdf Shelf Number: 133460 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDiversion ProgramsJailsMental Health ProgramsMentally Ill Offenders (Iowa) |
Author: Florida TaxWatch Title: Florida Boys & Girls Clubs: An Analysis of Educational, Juvenile Justice, and Economic Outcomes Summary: The Florida Boys and Girls Clubs (FBGC) are local nonprofit organizations that offer a number of afterschool programs to help participants develop positive character traits, improve academic performance, and prevent delinquency. In order to evaluate the economic benefits of the FBGC, Florida TaxWatch compared club participants to demographically similar students. This study finds that: o The median achievement level in Reading FCAT attained by the FBGC group was 3, or "on grade level", as compared to a median achievement level of 2, or "limited success with grade-level content," attained by the comparison group; o When measuring both overall days absent and "chronic absenteeism," which is significantly correlated with grade retention and dropouts, the results were half as prevalent in the FBGC group; o FBGC had a higher percentage of grade promotion and a lower percentage of grade retention than their peers, and dropout rates were significantly lower for FBGC participants; - The total number of juvenile justice referrals for the FBGC group was 2.96 percent, as compared to 7.49 percent for the comparison group; and - More than half of referrals (58 percent) were first-time referrals for the FBGC group, compared to 40 percent for the comparison group. According to this analysis, the economic impact of participation in Boys and Girls Club programs ranges from a short-term taxpayer savings of more than $9,000 for each student that is not held back a grade, to an aggregate of nearly $29,080,000 in lifetime earnings for each 100 additional high school graduates. Taxpayers also realize a cost-avoidance of $5,000 per youth who is diverted from criminal activities, and about $45,012-$46,305 for each youth that is diverted from incarceration. Details: Tallahassee: Florida TaxWatch, 2013. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2014 at: http://floridataxwatch.org/resources/pdf/FBGCReportFINAL.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://floridataxwatch.org/resources/pdf/FBGCReportFINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 133743 Keywords: Afterschool ProgramsCost-Benefit AnalysisDelinquency PreventionJuvenile Justice Systems (Florida)Nonprofit Organizations |
Author: Florida TaxWatch Title: Over-Criminalization in Florida: An Analysis of Nonviolent Third-degree Felonies Summary: Over-criminalization is the new buzzword among criminologists and legislators looking for ways to reform federal and state criminal justice systems and reduce the cost of corrections. Headline stories once monopolized by tough on crime terminology and prison building and expansion plans, now ask whether over-criminalization is making us a nation of felons. This concern led the federal government in 2013 to create a bipartisan Over-Criminalization Task Force comprised of ten congressmen from large population states like California, Texas, and New York, and southeast regional neighbors Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The work of this committee, which is focused on reducing the federal prison population, which has skyrocketed tenfold since 1980 (now 219,000 inmates at $7 billion annually), was renewed last month to review the 4,500 statutory federal crimes in the U.S. Code. Federal and state research regarding prison populations support the need for critical analysis. America leads the world in incarceration, with 760 prisoners per 100,000 compared to Britain with 153, Germany with 90 and Japan with 63.4 America incarcerates more than Cuba, China, Venezuela and Russia. America makes up 5% of the world's population, but has 25% of the world's prison Florida statistics reveal an even more acute situation than the national picture. The state prison population (102,225 as of January 2014) is projected to increase to 106,793 by 2017. To add context, in the last 35 years the state population increased 102.8%, but the prison population jumped 402.5%, resulting in state spending on corrections during this same period increasing by 1200%, to $2.4B. This despite the fact that crime statistics have steadily declined during this period, and have reached 30 year lows. Florida has 1.5 million felons living within the state, or one in ten adults. Prison populations are not the only numbers growing dramatically, so are the number of actions criminalized by Florida laws. Thousands of different offenses are now scattered throughout Florida statutes. Some drug and environmental laws do not even require criminal intent. Removing the element of intent means anyone found with illegal substances, or disposing of hazardous waste improperly, commits a felony whether the offense was committed inadvertently or not. Details: Tallahassee: TaxWatch, 2014. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2014 at: http://floridataxwatch.org/resources/pdf/ThirdDegreeFINAL.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://floridataxwatch.org/resources/pdf/ThirdDegreeFINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 133745 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CorrectionsCriminal Justice PolicyImprisonment, Economic Impacts ofPrisoners (Florida)Punishment |
Author: Henrichson, Christian Title: Cost-Benefit Analysis and Justice Policy Toolkit Summary: Throughout the justice field, demand is growing for cost-benefit analysis (CBA), an economic tool that compares the costs of programs or policies with the benefits they produce. Although there is no one-size-fits-all template for conducting a CBA, analysts and researchers must follow a common methodology, or series of steps. This toolkit guides users through these steps and provides examples of Vera's recent work advising six justice agencies that were either starting or enhancing their CBA efforts. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2014. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 21, 2015 at: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/cba-justice-policy-toolkit.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/cba-justice-policy-toolkit.pdf Shelf Number: 134429 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeCriminal Justice Policy |
Author: Title: U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Unmanned Aircraft System Program Does Not Achieve Intended Results or Recognize All Costs of Operations Summary: Although CBP's Unmanned Aircraft System program contributes to border security, after 8 years, CBP cannot prove that the program is effective because it has not developed performance measures. The program has also not achieved the expected results. Specifically, the unmanned aircraft are not meeting flight hour goals, and we found little or no evidence CBP has met its program expectations. We estimate it costs $12,255 per flight hour to operate the program; CBP's calculation of $2,468 per flight hour does not include all operating costs. By not recognizing all operating costs, CBP cannot accurately assess the program's cost effectiveness or make informed decisions about program expansion. In addition, Congress and the public may be unaware of all the resources committed to the program. As a result, CBP has invested significant funds in a program that has not achieved the expected results, and it cannot demonstrate how much the program has improved border security. The $443 million CBP plans to spend on program expansion could be put to better use by investing in alternatives. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2014. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: OIG-15-17: Accessed January 30, 2015 at: http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2015/OIG_15-17_Dec14.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2015/OIG_15-17_Dec14.pdf Shelf Number: 134496 Keywords: Border Security (U.S.)Cost-Benefit AnalysisHomeland Securityi |
Author: Pew Charitable Trusts Title: Reducing Incarceration for Technical Violations in Louisiana: Evaluation of revocation cap shows cost savings, less crime Summary: In 2007, Louisiana lawmakers unanimously approved legislation that set a 90-day limit on the incarceration in jail or prison of those whose probation or parole has been revoked for the first time for violating the rules of their community supervision. Lawmakers passed the legislation, Act 402 (House Bill 423), to prioritize jail and prison beds for serious offenders and steer lower-level offenders to less expensive and potentially more effective alternatives. An independent evaluation of the policy commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts, supplemented by additional research conducted by Pew, concluded that Louisiana's 90-day revocation limit has: -- Reduced the average length of incarceration for first-time technical revocations in Louisiana by 281 days, or 9.2 months. -- Maintained public safety, with returns to custody for new crimes declining from 7.9 percent to 6.2 percent, a 22 percent decrease. -- Resulted in a net savings of approximately 2,034 jail and prison beds a year. -- Saved taxpayers an average of $17.6 million in annual corrections costs. This brief summarizes these findings and looks ahead to the longer-term implications of Act 402 for Louisiana. Details: Washington, DC: Pew Charitable Trusts, 2014. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed February 5, 2015 at: http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/Assets/2014/11/PSPPReducingIncarcerationforTechnicalViolationsinLouisiana.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/Assets/2014/11/PSPPReducingIncarcerationforTechnicalViolationsinLouisiana.pdf Shelf Number: 134546 Keywords: Community SupervisionCost-Benefit AnalysisParole Revocation (Louisiana)ParoleesProbation RevocationProbationers |
Author: Drake, Elizabeth K. Title: Washington's Residential Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative: Recidivism & Cost Analysis Summary: The 2014 Washington State Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to examine the Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative (DOSA) for offenders sentenced to residential treatment in the community. Residential DOSA was created by the 2005 Legislature as an alternative to prison for offenders with substance abuse problems. When ordered by a court, an offender's sentence is reduced in exchange for completing chemical dependency treatment. When possible, WSIPP conducts benefit-cost analysis to understand the long-term impacts of policies. In addition to residential DOSA's effect on recidivism, research indicates that crime is avoided through confinement, known as "incapacitation." We cannot empirically estimate the extent to which a residential treatment facility itself incapacitates offenders. Thus, we are unable to determine the degree to which the benefits from the favorable recidivism reduction of residential DOSA would be offset by the increased costs of non-confinement. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2014. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: DOC.No. 14-12-1901: Accessed February 12, 2015 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1577/Wsipp_Washingtons-Residential-Drug-Offender-Sentencing-Alternative-Recidivism-Cost-Analysis_Report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1577/Wsipp_Washingtons-Residential-Drug-Offender-Sentencing-Alternative-Recidivism-Cost-Analysis_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 134598 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationCost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Offender TreatmentDrug Offenders (Washington State).RecidivismResidential Treatment |
Author: Casady, Tom K. Title: A Randomized-Trial Evaluation of a Law Enforcement Application for Smartphones and Laptops that Uses GIS and Location-Based Services to Pinpoint Persons-of-Interest Summary: This report summarizes a project that developed, implemented, and evaluated a GIS-enabled application that dynamically identifies the location of persons of interest, such as gang members, sex offenders, parolees, and so on. The application, called P3i, is designed for use by law enforcement officers. P3i pushes the location data to officers' smartphones, tablets, and MDT (mobile display terminal)/laptops. A randomized evaluation was conducted with the Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department (LPD). Officers (N = 90) were randomly assigned to one of five GPS-enabled devices or a no-P3i, control condition. Over a six-month period, 75 treatment officers were compared to the 15 control officers on a variety of productivity measures as well as to officers' prior year's performance. Measures included citation arrests, warrant arrests, and information reports. We also collected self-report data from surveys asking officers about the duration, frequency, and intensity of their use of the technology. Analyses provide some evidence that officers who used the P3i application on GPS-enabled devices were more productive than controls and more productive than they had been during the prior year. Follow-up analyses suggested a variety of individual difference factors (e.g., high performance officers in 2011, low performance officers in 2010, males) also were correlated with increases in productivity. In focus group discussions with a subset of the officers in the study, the officers expressed great enthusiasm for the P3i application and their use of new mobile technologies in general. The officers had many suggestions for improvements and provided insights into how they specifically used their devices and P3i. A cost-benefit analysis suggested that implementation of the device results in a savings of around $800 per officer, assuming a five-year device life and 7% interest rate. Additional assumptions considering different economic and technical scenarios were also developed and reported, but the results remained basically positive except for iPads, only have positive net benefits when there are no usage costs, while other devices have positive net benefits in almost all cases. In order to better understand officer adoption of P3i as well as their use of smartphones and tablets for work purposes, the project also examined what might account for the use of technology. Consistent with other studies, we found performance expectancy, a belief that the application would aid the participant in the performance of his or her duties, had the primary, significant effect on P3i usage. Thus, this study supports the position that if technology is made available, and officers have a reasonable expectation that it will help them in their work, they will utilize the technology. Further, if that technology actually can help them in their efforts, it is likely that the increase in productivity can be measured and captured. Our project also shows, however, that it may be difficult to find sensitive measures that will capture increases in productivity. One problem that can be anticipated is that outcomes are multi-determined, and thus it can be difficult to find measures that will be sensitive to positive impacts because of the multiple causes for the effects in which we are interested. Details: Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2015. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2015 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248593.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248593.pdf Shelf Number: 134761 Keywords: ComputersCost-Benefit AnalysisGeographical Information Systems (GID)Police Technology (U.S.)Smartphones |
Author: Arvanitidis, Tania Title: From Revenge to Restoration: Evaluating General Deterrence as a Primary Sentencing Purpose for Rioters in Vancouver, British Columbia Summary: On June 15 2011, the city of Vancouver experienced the largest and most destructive riot in its history. The legal response was highly punitive. Because a restorative justice response to riot cases remains largely unexamined, this thesis explores whether, and in what capacity, restorative justice offers an appropriate response with significant benefits when holding rioters accountable. Two analyses were conducted. The first is an exploratory qualitative analysis of the reasons for decision given for the first 20 adult rioters sentenced in Vancouver Provincial Court, and the second is a calculation of the economic benefits associated with making available to rioters a variety of community-based and restorative alternatives to custody. The findings of this thesis lend strong support to the appropriateness of a restorative response to riots, particularly in regard to ensuring consistency with the stated purposes of sentencing in Canadian law. Implications for sentencing rioters based on these findings are offered Details: Burnaby, BC: Simon Fraser University, 2013. 172p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 14, 2015 at: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/13584 Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/13584 Shelf Number: 135641 Keywords: Cost-benefit analysis Deterrence Restorative justice Riots Sentencing |
Author: Ruddell, Rick Title: The Economics of Canadian Policing Five Years Into the Great Recession Summary: Since the start of the Great Recession in 2008 there has been a growing interest in applying business models and cost-benefit analyses to policing, especially in terms of holding police services more accountable for their performance as publically funded agencies. A review of the policing literature reveals an increased number of references to value for money (Barton & Barton, 2011) and return on investment from dollars spent on policing (Boyd, Geoghegan & Gibbs, 2011; Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary [HMIC], 2013). Police and political leaders, as well as academics have used the economic crisis as an opportunity to advance the issues of reimagining or re-envisioning policing. While Canada has weathered the worst of the economic crisis that started in 2008 with fewer negative effects than our counterparts in the United Kingdom, the euro zone, and the United States, there has been a growing concern about the increasing costs of policing, which has been called unsustainable by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (2013). Every Canadian municipality is grappling with increasing demands for civic services, including policing, and few local politicians want to increase taxes. With respect to the Ontario Provincial Police, for instance, changes in the manner in which their costs are recovered from municipalities have led to a growing concern from rural community leaders: Brennan (2014, n.p.) noted that "prior to 1998 rural municipalities did not pay for policing." These debates are not isolated to Ontario, and city counselors throughout the nation are trying to balance public safety and their ability to pay for policing. Containing policing costs while ensuring that core policing services (e.g., those related to emergency response, criminal investigations and enforcing laws) are of key importance to policymakers and members of the Canadian policing industry. This is evidenced by an increased focus on the "economics of policing" in the research literature (see Griffiths & Stamatakis, 2012; Leuprecht, 2014; Ruddell & Jones, 2013), and several conferences and summits held throughout 2013-2014 (Charlottetown in January and September, 2013 and Vancouver in March 2014). Topics related to the economics of policing have been addressed at the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police 2013 annual meeting and were a key subject addressed by the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security throughout 2013. In many respects, funding for Canadian policing is more stable than in other English-speaking common-law nations. Police services throughout the United States have been experiencing funding cutbacks and some jurisdictions disbanded their police services in favour of contract policing (U.S. Department of Justice, 2012), while other municipalities have replaced publically operated police with private police agencies. In the United Kingdom, policing budgets are projected to be cut by as much as one-third. Given these funding shortfalls, police leaders in these nations are being forced to rethink the manner in which services are delivered, who will deliver them, and how to best manage cuts to police budgets without threatening core policing services. Canadian police services have the luxury of time to scan the environment for threats as well as opportunities for change, and learn what the police in other nations are doing in response to budget cutbacks. It is possible that the lessons learned from our counterparts will enable Canadian police services to better leverage their resources. Former Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, speaking at the Economics of Policing Summit in January 2013, observed that, "Police services face two options - they can do nothing and eventually be forced to cut drastically, as we have seen in some countries; or they can be proactive, get ahead of the curve, and have greater flexibility in designing and implementing both incremental and meaningful structural reforms." As part of a proactive strategy that examines the economics of policing in the Canadian context, a key goal of this study is to review the economics, management, and policing literatures to identify current trends in respect to the relationships between economics and policing, including how police services in other nations have managed austerity. The main findings from this review are that: - There were 11 recessions between 1948 and 2011 and each one had a different set of causes, economic consequences, as well as recovery times and these three factors influence crime rates in an inconsistent manner. - The global economic recovery has been slow and another downturn could have a significant impact upon the Canadian economy, and in turn, police funding. - Police services in the United Kingdom and the United States have responded to the latest recession by streamlining operations and attempting to reduce demand. - While police services in other nations have been successful in preserving core functions after budget cuts there is some question as to whether these strategies are sustainable over the long-term. - Long-term austerity policing may negatively influence citizen perceptions of the police and has been shown to reduce the morale of police service staff in the United Kingdom. - Cost-benefit analyses consistently reveal that investing in policing is a cost-effective public policy. - Recent research demonstrates that officer effectiveness can be enhanced through directed patrol or "hot spots" policing. - The RAND cost of crime calculator shows that adding police officers in jurisdictions with high crime rates is a good investment in public safety. - Applying the RAND calculator to Saskatchewan policing shows a return of $1.70 for every additional dollar spent on police officers. - Deploying officers in traffic enforcement roles demonstrates a greater cost saving benefit to society than in general duty policing. - Crime reduction strategies must be developed at the local level, as an approach that is effective in one jurisdiction may be unsuccessful when exported to another community. - The current recession has led to many scholars calling for a 'reengineering' or 'remaking' of police operations although there is little consensus on what those changes should entail or who should decide what changes should occur. - Most policing studies focus upon big city policing and there is almost no published research on best practices, cost effectiveness or measuring the performance of rural police services. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2014. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2015 at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cnmcs-plcng/cn80407908-eng.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Canada URL: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cnmcs-plcng/cn80407908-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 135694 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeEconomics and CrimeEconomics of PolicingPolice AdministrationPolicing |
Author: Ruddell, Rick Title: Austerity Policing: Responsing to Crime During Economic Downturns Summary: Governments at all levels are grappling with the challenges of increasing demands on police services at the same time that their budgets are threatened with cuts. Although Canada's economy has weathered the financial crisis that started in 2008 with fewer disruptions than in the United Kingdom or the United States, there are signs that global economic conditions, especially in the European Union, continue to be uncertain and those challenges could have a substantial impact upon economic conditions in Canada. Economic uncertainty can have an impact on all government services, including policing. Not only are police budgets under increasing scrutiny but economic disruption, such as high rates of unemployment or inflation, may contribute to an increased demand for police services. Public Safety Canada (2012) identified the following challenges associated with Canadian policing costs: Increasing demands on police combined with decreasing crime rates; Escalating policing costs that are increasingly unsustainable in the current fiscal environment; Limited clarity on how police funding is spent and its efficiency and effectiveness, and the; A need for coordination, focus and leadership. The importance of containing policing costs while ensuring that core policing services (e.g., those related to emergency response, criminal investigations and enforcing laws) are not jeopardized was a key issue examined at the Economics of Policing Summit in January 2013. In many respects, funding for Canadian policing is more stable than in other English speaking common-law nations. Police services throughout the United States have been experiencing funding cutbacks and some jurisdictions have disbanded their police services in favour of contract policing (U.S. Department of Justice, 2012). In the United Kingdom, policing budgets are projected to be cut by as much as one-third. Given these funding shortfalls, police services in those nations are being forced to rethink the manner in which services are delivered, who will deliver them, and how to best manage cuts to police budgets without threatening core policing services. Canadian police services have the luxury of time to scan the environment for threats as well as opportunities for change, and learn what the police in other nations are doing in response to budget cutbacks. It is possible that the lessons learned from our counterparts will enable Canadian police services to better leverage their resources. Former Public Safety Minister Toews, speaking at the Economics of Policing Summit in January 2013, observed that: Police services face two options - they can do nothing and eventually be forced to cut drastically, as we have seen in some countries; or they can be proactive, get ahead of the curve, and have greater flexibility in designing and implementing both incremental and meaningful structural reforms. It is critical that all levels of government and the entire policing community be engaged in innovation and reform efforts, so that we can turn a fiscal challenge into an opportunity to sustain our police services and better serve Canadians. As part of a proactive strategy that examines the economics of policing in the Canadian context a key goal of this study is to review the economics, management, and policing literatures to identify current trends in respect to the relationships between economics and policing, including how police services in other nations have managed austerity. The main findings from this review are that: - There were 11 recessions between 1948 and 2011 and each one has a different set of causes, economic consequences, as well as recovery times and these three factors influence crime rates in an inconsistent manner. - The global economic recovery has been slow and another downturn could have a significant impact upon the Canadian economy, and in turn, police funding. - Police services in the United Kingdom and the United States have responded to the latest recession by cutting costs and attempting to reduce demand. - While police services in other nations have been successful in preserving core functions there is some question as to whether these strategies are sustainable over the long-term. - Long-term austerity policing may negatively influence citizen perceptions of the police and contribute to lower morale of police service staff. - Cost-benefit analyses consistently reveal that investing in policing is a cost-effective public policy. - The RAND cost of crime calculator shows that adding police officers in jurisdictions with high crime rates is a good investment in public safety. - Crime reduction strategies must be developed at the local level, as an approach that is effective in one jurisdiction may be unsuccessful when exported to another community. - The current recession has led to many scholars calling for a "reengineering" or "remaking" of police operations although there is little consensus on what those changes should entail or who should decide what changes should occur. - The newly developed full-circle community safety model may be a useful framework for evaluating police performance. - Most policing studies focus upon big city policing and there is almost no published research on best practices, cost effectiveness or measuring the performance of rural police services. Details: Regina, SASK: University of Regina, Collaborative Centre for, Justice & Safety, 2013. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2015 at: http://www.justiceandsafety.ca/rsu_docs/ccjs_austerity-policing-1028.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: http://www.justiceandsafety.ca/rsu_docs/ccjs_austerity-policing-1028.pdf Shelf Number: 135695 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisEconomics of CrimeEconomics of PolicingEconomyPolice AdministrationPolicingSocioeconomic Conditions and Crime |
Author: Ambrey, Christopher L. Title: The life satisfaction approach to estimating the cost of crime: An individual's willingness-to-pay for crime reduction Summary: This paper is motivated by the need to develop an improved model for estimating the intangible costs of crime. Such a model will assist policy makers and criminal justice researchers to compare the costs and benefits of crime control policies. We demonstrate how the life satisfaction approach may be used to measure an individual's willingness-to-pay for crime reduction. Results indicate that property crime in one's local area detracts from an individual's life satisfaction. On average, an individual is implicitly willing-to-pay $3,213 in terms of annual household income to decrease the annual level of property crime by one offence per 1000 residents in their local area. This equates to a per-capita willingness-to-pay of $1,236. Details: Griffith University, Business School, 2012. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Papers No. 2013-01: Accessed July 13, 2015 at: https://www.melbourneinstitute.com/downloads/hilda/Bibliography/Working_Discussion_Research_Papers/2013/Ambrey_etal_-the-life-satisfaction-approach-to-estimating-the-cost-of-crime.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: https://www.melbourneinstitute.com/downloads/hilda/Bibliography/Working_Discussion_Research_Papers/2013/Ambrey_etal_-the-life-satisfaction-approach-to-estimating-the-cost-of-crime.pdf Shelf Number: 136020 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CrimeProperty Crime |
Author: Wells, Lana Title: Preventing Domestic Violence in Alberta: A Cost Savings Perspective Summary: Recent studies show that Alberta has the fifth highest rate of police reported intimate partner violence and the second highest rate of self reported spousal violence in Canada, and despite a 2.3 percent decline over the last decade, the province's rate of self-reported domestic violence has stubbornly remained among the highest in Canada; rates of violence against women alone are 2.3 percentage points higher than the national average. In fact, every hour of every day, a woman in Alberta will undergo some form of interpersonal violence from an ex-partner or ex-spouse. Besides the devastating toll that domestic violence has on victims and their families, the ongoing cost to Albertans is significant. In the past five years alone it is estimated that over $600 million will have been spent on the provision of a few basic health and non health supports and that the majority of this cost ($521 million) is coming out of the pockets of Albertans in the form of tax dollars directed at the provision of services. Fortunately, investment in quality prevention and intervention initiatives can be very cost effective, returning as much as $20 for every dollar invested. Recent research on preventative programming in the context of domestic violence shows promising results in reducing incidents of self-reported domestic violence. The economic analysis of this preventative programming suggests that the benefits of providing the various types of programming outweighed the costs by as much as 6:1. The potential cost savings for the Alberta context are significant; the implementation of these preventative programs has been estimated to be approximately $9.6 million while generating net cost-benefits of over $54 million. Domestic violence is a persistent blight, and continues to have a significant impact on individuals and families in Alberta, but potent tools exist to fight it. This brief paper offers a cogent summary of its costs, and the benefits that could be reaped by investing in quality prevention and intervention programs, making it essential reading for policymakers and anyone else prepared to use them. Details: Calgary, AB: University of Calgary, School of Public Policy, 2012. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: SPP Research Papers, 2012: Accessed July 24, 2015 at: http://www.canadianwomen.org/sites/canadianwomen.org/files/PDF--domestic-violence-alberta.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: http://www.canadianwomen.org/sites/canadianwomen.org/files/PDF--domestic-violence-alberta.pdf Shelf Number: 136148 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDomestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: McDowell Group, Inc. Title: Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Anchorage Youth Court Summary: This analysis examines the extent to which the benefits of the Anchorage Youth Court may be quantified and how those benefits compare to the costs of operating the program. It also addresses less quantifiable benefits. The study draws on a review of national literature, analysis of AYC program data, analysis of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) data on juvenile offenses, and interviews with experts on AYC and Alaska juvenile justice. Major Findings The Anchorage Youth Court (AYC) creates a complex set of benefits for participating defendants, youth volunteers, and the larger community. In addition to producing economic benefits significantly in excess of its cost, AYC conducts substantial education and life-skills training, and its structure and processes contribute to social-emotional growth for both defendants and volunteers. The practice of peer justicewith youth volunteers exercising maximum responsibility for, and control over, the court process and sentencingcontributes to AYCs success. This approach requires more intensive volunteer training and participation than more adult-dominated youth courts typical of many other states. AYCs one-year re-referral rate (a proxy for recidivism) was 16 percent, while that of a comparison group of juvenile defendants who committed offenses similar to those of youth court participants and received informal probation was 39 percent. A re-referral occurs when law enforcement refers a youth to the Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) for a new offense. 1 The percentage of youths who complete AYC and are subsequently re-referred to DJJ for another offense also compares favorably with re-referral rates for other youth courts as reported in a recent study published by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Based on the premise that the AYC and informal-probation comparison groups are fundamentally similar, AYCs lower re-referral rate means the Anchorage community experienced an average of 40 fewer crimes per year between 2009 and 2012 than it would have if all of AYCs defendants had simply received informal probation Each of the 40 crimes averted saved an estimated $3,900 in victim, criminal justice, and law enforcement costs for a total of $156,000 saved annually. The largest economic benefit of AYC is the value to young offenders of not having a criminal record. The net present value of this additional income over a working lifetime is approximately $116,000 for each defendant who avoids the stigma of a criminal record as a result of his or her AYC experience. The number of AYC defendants who benefit each year in this way is estimated to be between 2 and 4, for a total annual benefit of between $232,000 and $464,000. AYC produces other benefits to the Anchorage community in addition to less crime. In 2013, the quantifiable portion of these benefits was worth an estimated $80,450 and included: Nearly 3,750 hours of community service by offenders, worth, at minimum wage, approximately $29,000. 1,470 hours of youth volunteer time to conduct court proceedings, worth an estimated $16,000. More than 400 hours of legal education worth $21,000 plus another $12,000 in pro-bono legal services donated by adult attorneys and judges for a total of $33,000 in services donated by adult volunteers. $2,450 in donated classroom facilities. Details: Juneau: McDowell Group, Inc., 2014. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 25, 2015 at: http://www.anchorageyouthcourt.org/uploads/MCDOWELL_GROUP_STUDY.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.anchorageyouthcourt.org/uploads/MCDOWELL_GROUP_STUDY.pdf Shelf Number: 136576 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisJuvenile CourtJuvenile OffendersYouth CourtYouthful Offenders |
Author: Darnell, Adam Title: I-502 Evaluation Plan and Preliminary Report on Implementation Summary: In 2012, with the passage of Initiative 502, Washington voters legalized limited adult possession and private use of cannabis, as well as its licensed production and sale. The initiative also directed WSIPP to evaluate the effect of the law on Washington's population and economy. This first required report provides a research plan for the overall study. WSIPP's evaluation of I-502 will be divided into three components: 1)a descriptive study of how the law is being implemented; 2)an outcome study that will identify causal effects of the law; and 3)a benefit-cost study. This initial report describes the status of I-502 implementation through June 30, 2015. We present information on the number of licensed cannabis businesses, cannabis sales, and historical trends in adult and youth cannabis use. This report does not contain findings on whether I-502 has had any effects on outcomes. Effects of the law will not be detectable until several years after implementation. The next required report, due September 1, 2017, will include initial results of outcome analyses. Details: Olympia: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2015. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2015 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1616/Wsipp_I-502-Evaluation-Plan-and-Preliminary-Report-on-Implementation_Report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1616/Wsipp_I-502-Evaluation-Plan-and-Preliminary-Report-on-Implementation_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 136746 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug PolicyMarijuana Legalization |
Author: Fumia, Danielle Title: Washington's Coordination of Services Program for Juvenile Offenders: Outcome Evaluation and Benefit-Cost Analysis Summary: Coordination of Services (COS) is an educational program for low-risk juvenile offenders that provides information about services available in the community. The program is designed to help juvenile offenders avoid further involvement with the criminal justice system. COS currently serves about 600 youth per year in Washington State. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) first evaluated COS in 2004 following its first year of implementation. As part of ongoing work to identify research- and evidence-based programming in juvenile justice, WSIPP re-evaluated COS to determine its current impact on recidivism. Based on the results from both of WSIPP's evaluations of COS, we estimate that the program reduces recidivism by about 3.5 percentage points (from 20% to 16.5%). Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public policy, 2015. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 29, 2015 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1617/Wsipp_Washingtons-Coordination-of-Services-Program-for-Juvenile-Offenders-Outcome-Evaluation-and-Benefit-Cost-Analysis_Report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1617/Wsipp_Washingtons-Coordination-of-Services-Program-for-Juvenile-Offenders-Outcome-Evaluation-and-Benefit-Cost-Analysis_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 137005 Keywords: At-Risk YouthCommunity-Based ProgramsCost-Benefit AnalysisEducational ProgramsEvidence-Based ProgramsJuvenile OffendersRecidivismTreatment Programs |
Author: Harrison, Paige M. Title: Otter Tail County DWI Court Fergus Falls, MN. Process, Outcomes, and Cost Evaluation Report Summary: WI courts are complex programs designed to deal with some of the most challenging problems that communities face. DWI courts bring together multiple and traditionally adversarial roles plus stakeholders from different systems with different training, proessional language, and approaches. They take on groups of clients that frequently have serious substance abuse treatment needs. Adults with substance abuse issues involved in the criminal justice system must be seen within an ecological context; that is, within the environment that has contributed to their attitudes and behaviors. This environment includes their neighborhoods, families, friends, and formal or informal economies through which they support themselves. The DWI court must understand the various social, economic, mental health and cultural factors that affect their participants. In late 2011, NPC Research was contracted by the State of Minnesota's Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to conduct an assessment of Minnesota's DWI courts and to determine the work necessary and the feasibility of performing process, outcome, and cost evaluations in these programs. The overall goal of the DWI court project is to have a credible and rigorous evaluation of Minnesota's DWI courts. In June 2012, it was decided to move forward with a full evaluation including a detailed process evaluation and outcome evaluation in all nine of Minnesota's DWI court programs and a cost benefit evaluation in seven of these programs. This is the site-specific report for the Otter Tail County DWI Court (OTC-DWI). The OTC-DWI was implemented in February 2008. This program, designed to take 18 months to complete, takes post-conviction participants, but also allows some participants to enter the pro-gram pre-plea (offenders who know they are pleading guilty and want to start the program before their court hearing). The general program population consists of repeat DWI offenders (with two or more DWI offenses) charged in Otter Tail County with a gross misdemeanor or felony level DWI, who are determined substance dependent. Process Evaluation Summary. The OTC-DWI has been responsive to the community needs and strives to meet the challenges presented by substance-dependant individuals. This program is demonstrating some exemplary practices within each of the 10 Key Components of Drug Courts including good communication between team members, rapid results from drug testing, an appropriate range of services, written incentive and sanctions guidelines, and swift response to participant behaviors. The process evaluation did reveal some recommendations that could further enhance program outcomes that the court was considering or was in the process of implementing in our last discussion. These recommendations included the following: - Flexible hours for the probation officer. The probation officer currently works 24 hours per week on a set schedule of every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It is strongly recommended that the probation officer position have flexible hours. This would allow for more random drug testing (especially for the female participants) and allow the probation officer to do more home and workplace visits. - Ensure that the home and workplace visits are truly random and ensure appropriate training for the surveillance position. Participants reported that the visits mostly occur in the evening and they are often able to determine when the visit will occur (or were actually told when the next visit would occur). It is recommended that the OTC-DWI develop procedures to ensure that participants are unable to determine the visit schedule. In addition, due to reports of frequent turnover in the surveillance officer position, it is recommended that guidelines be created for this role and training instituted to ensure that all surveillance officers are following appropriate procedures. - Schedule staffing meetings and court sessions for a recurring day and time when all team members are able to attend. Participant feedback and site visit observations indicated that many team members do not regularly attend court sessions. It is strongly recommended that the staffing meeting and court session be held at a time when all team members are able to regularly attend. - Continue efforts toward getting a defense attorney on the team. It was reported that some public defenders support the program and some do not (because they feel their clients do not receive due process and are better served by taking jail time instead of participating in DWI court). The OTC-DWI has made efforts to reach out to and educate the public defenders about DWI court, but due to a severe lack of funding the public defender office does not have time or resources to participate. - Consider sentencing more offenders into the program, specifically felons and high-risk offenders. It was reported that the option of sentencing an offender into the OTC-DWI is rarely used. It is recommended that the program be explained to all judges and that they consider it among their sentencing options. In addition, the OTC-DWI currently has only two felons in the program, and only four felons have been in the program over the past year. It is recommended that the team make an effort to take on more felons in the program since it is the higher risk offenders who most need the services and intensive supervision provided in the OTC-DWI. Outcome Evaluation Summary. The outcome analyses were primarily performed on OTC-DWI participants who entered the DWI court program from January 2009 through December 2011, and a matched comparison group of offenders eligible for DWI court but who received the traditional court process rather than OTC-DWI. Figure A illustrates the average number at 1 year and 2 years after program entry for OTC-DWI graduates, all OTC-DWI participants, and the comparison group. DWI court participants were rearrested about half as often as comparison group members across both years; this difference was statistically significant in Year 1 (p <.05). The results of the outcome analysis for the OTC-DWI are positive. Overall the data showed few-er average arrests among DWI court participants than the comparison group. While most differences were not statistically significant, some of this is attributable to the small sample size. We recommend the program continue to track participants and perhaps conduct another study several years hence. Cost Evaluation Summary. Although the OTC-DWI is a substantial taxpayer investment, over time it results in significant cost savings and a return on its investment. Recommendations. Based on the outcome and cost evaluation, there are some key possibilities for program adjustments that may improve program outcomes. These include: - Ensuring that the program is targeting high-risk/high-need offenders (e.g., felony DWIs) - Decreasing the frequency of court sessions in Phase 2, or seeing some participants who are doing well less often so that the judge can spend at least 3 minutes per participant and also decrease the costs of court appearances. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2014. 120p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 28, 2015 at: http://npcresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/MN-DWI-Process-Outcome-and-Cost-Report_Otter-Tail-FINAL-FOR-OTS.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://npcresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/MN-DWI-Process-Outcome-and-Cost-Report_Otter-Tail-FINAL-FOR-OTS.pdf Shelf Number: 137164 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationCost-Benefit AnalysisDriving While IntoxicatedDrugged DrivingDrunk DrivingDrunk Driving CourtsProblem-Solving Courts |
Author: Parsons, Jim Title: A Natural Experiment in Reform: Analyzing Drug Policy Change In New York City, Final Report Summary: The Substance Use and Mental Health Program (SUMH) studied the impact of 2009 reforms to New York State's Rockefeller Drug Laws that eliminated mandatory minimum sentences for people convicted of a range of felony drug charges and expanded eligibility for diversion to treatment. Researchers compared cases pre and post reform to assess changes in the use of jail and prison, rates of diversion to treatment, racial disparities in sentencing, recidivism, and cost. This work, conducted under the auspices of the National Institute of Justice, included researchers from Vera's Substance Use and Mental Health Program and Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Rutgers University. The research team: - described sentencing outcomes by analyzing administrative data on felony drug cases indicted before and after the reforms, and conducted case file reviews and interviewed judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys to explore the factors influencing charging and sentencing decisions; - compared recidivism outcomes for individuals charged with felony drug crimes before and after the reforms; and - conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the reforms. Details: Final Report to the National Institute of Justice, 2015. 274p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 14, 2016 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248524.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248524.pdf Shelf Number: 137576 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse Policy (New York) Drug Enforcement Drug Law Reform Drug Policy Rockefeller Drug Laws |
Author: Carnevale Associates, LLC Title: Findings from the Economic Analysis of JDC/RF: Policy Implications for Juvenile Drug Courts Summary: Findings from the National Cross-Site Evaluation of Juvenile Drug Courts and Reclaiming Futures (JDC/RF) indicate that costs associated with providing services in accordance with the JDC/RF integrated model are offset by substantial savings to society. The integrated model, which was created as a combination of two existing models: Juvenile Drug Courts: Strategies in Practice (JDC: SIP) & Reclaiming Futures (RF), is part of an effort by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to improve the effectiveness and efficacy of JDCs. The JDC/RF National Cross-Site Evaluation includes five sites that received funding under this initiative. This brief describes a two-part study of JDC/RF program costs, meaning the monetary value of time and resources required to operate the program, and estimated net economic benefits, meaning the monetary value of program benefits minus the program costs. Adolescent treatment program costs and associated net benefits are not studied as frequently as adult programs, despite the fact that studies of this nature for adults have become more numerous in recent years. The findings of the current study help fill this gap, lending an important contribution to the adolescent treatment research community. The study found that the five sites participating in the JDC/RF National Cross-Site Evaluation experienced net benefits to society that greatly exceeded JDC/RF program costs. These benefits were directly related to data collected before and after the JDC/RF intervention on traditional measures of JDC programmatic success such as crime, substance abuse, education, physical health, and mental health. Findings provide preliminary economic justification for the JDC/RF program. Details: Tucson: University of Arizona: Accessed February 29, 2016 at: 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 29, 2016 at: https://sirow.arizona.edu/sites/sirow.arizona.edu/files/Policy%20Brief%20%23%20Cost%20Study_FINAL_upload2_1.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://sirow.arizona.edu/sites/sirow.arizona.edu/files/Policy%20Brief%20%23%20Cost%20Study_FINAL_upload2_1.pdf Shelf Number: 137992 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug CourtsJuvenile Drug CourtsJuvenile OffendersProblem-Solving Courts |
Author: Duwe, Grant Title: What Works with Minnesota Prisoners: A Summary of the Effects of Correctional Programming on Recidivism, Employment, and Cost Avoidance Summary: Since 2006, the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) has completed more than 20 major research studies and program evaluations. Of these reports, 13 have evaluated programs that have operated within Minnesota DOC facilities. This report summarizes the impact of these programs on recidivism, post-release employment, and cost avoidance. Program Characteristics The characteristics of the 13 programs that have been evaluated are shown in Table 1. Three of the programs (MCORP, PRI, and SOAR) were prisoner reentry pilot projects that are no longer operating. As noted in Table 1, however, five other programs currently operating in the DOC focus on prisoner reentry. Five of the programs evaluated provide participants with educational/ employment programming. Two of the programs offer cognitive-behavioral programming (chemical dependency and sex offender treatment), while another two are early release programs (CIP and work release). The length of the programs ranges from a minimum of two months (work release and power of People) to a maximum of thirty (IFI). Seven of the programs deliver services in both prison and the community, while five offer programming only in prison. Work release was the only one evaluated that provides programming strictly in the community. Offenders placed on supervised release were the target populations for all three of the prisoner reentry programs that were evaluated. Of the remaining 10 programs, five include recidivism risk in the offender selection process, while the remaining five tend to target offenders in general. Of the five that incorporate risk into the selection process, two focus on lower-risk offenders because they are early release programs. Each of the 13 programs evaluated was designed to focus on one or more criminogenic needs (i.e., factors associated with recidivism). The most commonly addressed needs areas are anti-social cognition and education/employment (each of these needs areas is addressed by eight programs). Five of the programs target substance abuse, while three focus on anti-social associates. Program Evaluation Characteristics The descriptive characteristics for each program evaluation are provided in Table 2. With 3,570 offenders, the work release program evaluation has the largest sample size to date. The MnCOSA sample, on the other hand, is the smallest with 62 offenders. All but the chemical dependency (CD) treatment evaluation examined offenders released over a period of multiple years. At 9.3 years, the sex offender treatment evaluation had the longest average follow-up period. In contrast, the PRI evaluation had the shortest follow-up period (one year average). Three of the 13 evaluations used a randomized controlled trial (RCT), whereas the remaining ten used a retrospective quasi-experimental design (RQED). Propensity score matching has been used in eight of the ten RQED evaluations to match offenders from the treatment and comparison groups. Of the 13 evaluations, 9 have been published in peer-reviewed academic journals. Recidivism Recidivism is often considered the "gold standard" by which to measure the effectiveness of correctional programming. All 13 program evaluations included at least two measures of recidivism. Nine of the evaluations contained four separate recidivism measures. Because the education programming evaluation separately assessed the effects of earning secondary and post-secondary degrees in prison on several outcomes, two discrete program effects were included in Table 3. Of the 14 program effects examined, 9 were found to significantly decrease at least one measure of recidivism. For example, the results suggest that, relative to a comparison group of untreated offenders, participating in chemical dependency treatment significantly reduced the risk of rearrest for a new offense by 17 percent. Each program was ranked by the magnitude of its impact on each recidivism measure. In developing program rankings for each measure of recidivism, statistically significant results were given priority over those that were not statistically significant. At 55 percent, EMPLOY had the largest effect size for new offense reincarceration. MnCOSA had the largest effect sizes for rearrest and revocation, while IFI had the greatest impact on reconviction. Overall, EMPLOY was the only program to significantly reduce all four recidivism measures. Post-Release Employment Given that not all correctional programs are geared towards improving post-release employment outcomes for offenders, a little more than half (seven) of the evaluations have assessed program effects on at least one measure of employment. Of these seven, six evaluations utilized multiple measures of employment data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The results in Table 4 show that EMPLOY, work release, educational degrees, MCORP and IFI have each produced significant, positive findings regarding post-release employment. AHP and PRI did not yield significant, positive employment outcomes. Overall, work release and EMPLOY produced the best employment outcomes. For example, work release participants were roughly eight times more likely than a comparison group of offenders to find employment. EMPLOY participants, meanwhile, were 72 percent more likely to obtain post-release employment than a comparison group of offenders. Compared to their counterparts in the comparison groups, EMPLOY and work release participants worked, on average, 211 and 497 more hours, respectively, during the follow-up period. EMPLOY participants earned roughly $5,400 more, on average, than offenders in the comparison group. Work release participants earned about $4,800 more than those in the comparison group. Cost Avoidance Correctional programs can reduce costs in several ways. Most notably, programs that lower recidivism can generate costs avoided by decreasing victim costs, criminal justice costs (including police, courts, and prisons), and lost productivity of incarcerated offenders. Those that improve employment incomes can create a benefit by increasing income taxes that employed offenders pay to the state. And programs can also reduce costs by providing graduates with early release from prison to correctional supervision. The cost avoidance estimates for each of the 13 programs are shown in Table 5. Five of the programs (CIP, AHP, MnCOSA, work release, and MCORP) contain estimates that were developed at the time the program was evaluated. For the remaining eight program evaluations, cost avoidance estimates were calculated specifically for this report. The results indicate that 10 of the 13 programs evaluated have produced a cost avoidance to the state. The total costs avoided, however, are based, to some extent, on the total size of the sample. Costs avoided per participant, on the other hand, provides a standardized metric in which comparisons can be made across programs. The results show that AHP produced the largest costs avoided per participant. As noted in that evaluation, however, the vast majority of the costs avoided came from employers paying lower wages to AHP participants. EMPLOY had the next highest benefit per participant, followed by sex offender treatment, CD treatment and MnCOSA. Each of these programs generated an excess of $10,000 in costs avoided for every participant in the program. Table 5 also estimates the costs avoided that each program produces on an annual basis. Annual cost avoidance estimates were calculated by multiplying each programs' costs avoided per participant by the number of offenders who participate in the program each year. Given the large number of participants, coupled with the relatively high amount of costs avoided per participant, CD treatment produces more than $22 million in estimated costs avoided each year. Although education programming yields one of the lower costs avoided per participant (ninth out of 13), it can be delivered relatively inexpensively ($874 per participant) to a large number of offenders (approximately 1,350 earn a secondary or post-secondary degree in prison each year). As a result, education programming produces the second-highest annual costs avoided with an estimate of $3.18 million. At $2.86 million, sex offender treatment generates the third-highest annual costs avoided, followed closely by EMPLOY with $2.84 million. CIP yields nearly $2 million in estimated costs avoided each year, as does AHP. Overall, the ten programs producing costs avoided to the state combine for more than $36 million each year. CD treatment thus accounts for more than 60 percent of the total estimated annual amount. Details: St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Corrections, 2013. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 22, 2016 at: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/PAGES/files/6213/9206/2384/What_Works_with_MN_Prisoners_July_2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/PAGES/files/6213/9206/2384/What_Works_with_MN_Prisoners_July_2013.pdf Shelf Number: 138364 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsCost-Benefit AnalysisEx-Offender EmploymentRecidivismRehabilitationTreatment Programs |
Author: Smith-Moncrieffe, Donna Title: Evaluation Summary: Final Results - Stop Now and Plan (SNAP) Summary: Stop Now And Plan (SNAP) is a community-based program for children ages 6 to 12 who have come into contact, or are at risk of coming into contact, with the criminal justice system, and/or who display early signs of anti-social or aggressive behaviour. The program uses a cognitive-behavioural, multi-component approach to decrease the risks of children engaging in future delinquent behaviour. The SNAP model is based on a comprehensive framework for effctively teaching children with serious behavioural problems, emotional regulation, self-control and problem-solving skills. The core program components include the children's and parent's groups. The SNAP Boys and SNAP Girls offer 12-week gender-specific groups that teach emotion regulation, self-control and problem-solving skills. The concurrent SNAP Parent Group teaches parents effective child management strategies. Other program components include individual counselling/mentoring, family counselling, academic tutoring, youth leadership and a gender-specific component called "Girls Growing Up Healthy". These are recommended based on a continuing assessment of the child's risk and need levels. Although there is evidence regarding the effectiveness of SNAP in Canadian and United States contexts (within accredited mental health centres and community based settings), a further evaluation was conducted to assess the impact the program in a variety of other community-based organizations across Canada (i.e., youth justice, mentoring, and Aboriginal reserves). This summary provides an overview of the multi-site impact evaluation of SNAP that was funded by the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS). The multisite impact evaluation assessed the efficacy of this program in three unique communities (Toronto, Edmonton and Cree Nation - Quebec), contributing to the collective body of knowledge of what works in crime prevention. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2015. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report: 2015-R017: Accessed March 22, 2016 at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2015-r017/2015-r017-en.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Canada URL: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2015-r017/2015-r017-en.pdf Shelf Number: 138380 Keywords: Anti-Social BehaviorAt-Risk YouthCognitive-Behavioral ProgramCommunity-Based ProgramsCost-Benefit AnalysisDelinquency PreventionProblem-Solving Skills |
Author: Council of Economic Advisors Title: Economic Perspectives on Incarceration and the Criminal Justice System Summary: Calls for criminal justice reform have been mounting in recent years, in large part due to the extraordinarily high levels of incarceration in the United States. Today, the incarcerated population is 4.5 times larger than in 1980, with approximately 2.2 million people in the United States behind bars, including individuals in Federal and State prisons as well as local jails. The push for reform comes from many angles, from the high financial cost of maintaining current levels of incarceration to the humanitarian consequences of detaining more individuals than any other country. Economic analysis is a useful lens for understanding the costs, benefits, and consequences of incarceration and other criminal justice policies. In this report, we first examine historical growth in criminal justice enforcement and incarceration along with its causes. We then develop a general framework for evaluating criminal justice policy, weighing its crime-reducing benefits against its direct government costs and indirect costs for individuals, families, and communities. Finally, we describe the Administration's holistic approach to criminal justice reform through policies that impact the community, the cell block, and the courtroom. Details: Washington DC: U.S. Executive Office of the President, 2016. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 26, 2016 at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/page/files/20160423_cea_incarceration_criminal_justice.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/page/files/20160423_cea_incarceration_criminal_justice.pdf Shelf Number: 138815 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CorrectionsCosts of Criminal JusticeCriminal Justice PolicyCriminal Justice ReformEconomics of CrimePrisons |
Author: Finigan, Michael W. Title: Societal Outcomes and Cost Savings of Drug and Alcohol Treatment in the State of Oregon Summary: The NPC study was designed to overcome some of the methodological limitations of past studies of the benefits and costs of drug and/or alcohol treatment. The research design was created with a representative sample of treatment completers with a matched comparison group of clients who received little or no treatment; use of existing state agency databases rather than self-report data for maximum objectivity; and an adequate study period of 2 years prior and 3 years subsequent to treatment completion. The study results indicated that successful drug and alcohol treatment can have positive societal outcomes. While previous studies have shown the positive effects of treatment for the time period of 1 year, this study indicated that these gains are sustained over longer periods of time (up to 3 years). The study estimated the cost savings to taxpayers - either directly in their avoidance of criminal losses or indirectly in the avoidance of expenditure of their tax dollars - that accrue from the positive societal outcomes of treatment. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, Inc., 1996. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 19, 2016 at: http://npcresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/SOCS1.pdf Year: 1996 Country: United States URL: http://npcresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/SOCS1.pdf Shelf Number: 139102 Keywords: AlcoholismCost-Benefit AnalysisDrug AddictionDrug OffendersDrug TreatmentSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Hamilton, Zachary Title: Evaluation of Washington State Department of Corrections (WADOC) Swift and Certain (SAC) Policy: Process, Outcome and Cost-Benefit Evaluation Summary: In 2012, the Washington State Department of Corrections (WADOC) embarked on an ambitious effort to restructure their community supervision model. These changes were driven by the passage of Senate Bill 6204, which created substantial operating changes to the Community Corrections Division (CCD) of the WADOC, including matching the level of supervision to offender's risk level, utilizing evidence-based treatment and implementing swift and certain (yet moderate) jail sanctions for community supervision violations (Washington State Department of Corrections 2008; 2014). The Swift and Certain (SAC) policy was implemented in May of 2012, with the intent of expanding the HOPE model to a much broader community-based criminal justice population. Primarily, SAC was established to reduce confinement time for sanctions following a violation of supervision conditions. While maintaining a substantial focus on public safety, the Washington SAC program also sought to reduce correctional costs associated with short-term confinement for violation sanctioning. Through support by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF), researchers at Washington State University (WSU) completed a multi-phase project to examine the implementation process and provide an outcome and cost-benefit evaluation of SAC. Process Evaluation: The purpose and intent of this research is to provide a deeper understanding of the implementation, adoption and use of SAC with over 10,000 offenders across the state of Washington. To complete this evaluation, WSU Researchers conducted the following: 1) a careful document review of policies and procedures, 2) focus groups were conducted with community corrections officers and supervisors (CCOs & CCSs), and 3) community corrections offenders. Over 16 hours of interviews were transcribed, and were then coded to search for common themes and patterns in the data. Interviews were also conducted with numerous WADOC Administrators in order to clarify or gain further insight. Details: Pullman, WA: Washington State University, 2015. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2016 at: http://njlaw.rutgers.edu/cj/gray/searchresults.php Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://njlaw.rutgers.edu/cj/gray/searchresults.php Shelf Number: 139516 Keywords: Community CorrectionsCommunity SupervisionCost of CorrectionsCost-Benefit AnalysisDrug CourtsDrug OffendersProbation ViolationsProbationers |
Author: Yamatani, Hide Title: Overview Report of Allegheny County Jail Collaborative Evaluation Findings Summary: Allegheny County is a national leader in formulating and implementing a collaboration-based jail inmate reintegration program called the Allegheny County Jail Collaborative. This unique human service system is co-chaired by the Director of the Department of Human Services, the Warden of the Allegheny County Jail (ACJ), and Director of the Department of Health. Researchers from the Center on Race and Social Problems, housed in the School of Social Work University of Pittsburgh, evaluated the ACJ Collaborative. The major purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the Collaborative achieved successful community reentry goals among released male jail inmates. On a typical day, over 700,000 individuals are incarcerated in US jails. Yet potential benefits of the investment in best practice reintegration and crime reduction interventions are relatively unknown. Evaluation Findings. The three-year evaluation study findings reflect the ACJ Collaborative's capacity to generate impressive positive results including: (a) a significantly lower recidivism rate among inmate participants; (b) similar service benefits across racial groups; and (c) successful reintegration into community life among a high majority of participants. More specifically, major outcome findings are as follows: 1. Allegheny County is saving over $5.3 million annually by the ACJ Collaborative serving 300 inmates per year; 2. The greatest cost-savings generated by ACJ Collaborative is in areas of public safety and reduced victimization among county residents; 3. Cost-savings ratio is approximately 6 to 1 (i.e., for a dollar investment to the ACJ Collaborative, the cost-savings return is approximately $6); 4. At 12 months post-release the Collaborative inmates are achieving a 50% lower recidivism rate compared to matched comparison group (i.e., 16.5% vs. 33.1%, respectively); 5. In contrast to historical trends nationally, there were no statistically significant differences in the recidivism rate between Black and White Collaborative inmate participants. The findings shown above were derived using a cost-savings analysis strategy selected by the Urban Institute (Roman & Chalfin, 2006). This strategy includes estimates of (1) cost of jail stay; (2) cost of processing offenders in the criminal justice system; (3) costs of crime victimization; (4) cost of providing services at the jail; and (5) cost savings associated with Collaborative participants' recidivism reduction. The differential recidivism rate was derived based on a stratified and matched sample group comparison method. During the 12 months after release from ACJ, intermediary process outcomes among Collaborative consumer inmates showed positive transitions to community life including: (a) higher enrollment in various community-based service organizations; (b) improved housing obtainment for both racial groups; and (c) increased employment rates among former White offenders. Other areas that remained relatively unchanged (but did not significantly deteriorate) included drug and alcohol usage rate, Black employment rates, and mental and physical health treatment needs. Details: Pittsburgh: Center on Race and Social Problems, School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, 2008. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 29, 2016 at: http://www.crsp.pitt.edu/sites/default/files/ACJ_Report.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.crsp.pitt.edu/sites/default/files/ACJ_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 139535 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CorrectionsJail InmatesJailsPrisoner ReentryRecidivism |
Author: Michigan. Supreme Court. State Court Administrative Office Title: Michigan's Problem-Solving Courts: Solving Problems, Saving Lives. 2015 Performance Measures and Outcomes Summary: Executive Summary Making a Difference and Leading the Nation Problem- solving courts are making a difference in the lives of people throughout Michigan. That difference ripples out across the state - to their families, to their neighborhoods, and to their communities. Based both on the data in this report and amazing individual success stories, problem-solving courts not only help participants, but also strengthen families and make communities safer and stronger. Michigan is a national leader in giving the public access to treatment courts. In fact, our 179treatment courts provide access to 97 percent of our state's population. For example, with 23 veterans treatment courts (as of 2016), Michigan has more of these innovative courts than any other state in the nation. Participants are Much Less Likely to Commit Another Crime In particular, the key measure of court success is the rate at which participants commit new crimes. That's why expert analysts carefully keep track of recidivism rates compared to similar groups of nonparticipants. The cut in crime rates is impressive: - Participants in Michigan drug and mental health courts are two times less likely to commit another offense after two years. - Participants in Michigan sobriety courts are more than three times less likely to commit another offense after two years. Unemployment Among Graduates Cut Significantly Problem-solving courts successfully keep offenders out of costly jail cells while reducing crime. But those are not the only benefits to graduates and to society. As shown in the chart below, unemployment among drug and sobriety court graduates was cut significantly. Details: Lansing, MA: Michigan Supreme Court, 2015. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 11, 2016 at: http://courts.mi.gov/Administration/admin/op/problem-solving-courts/Documents/PSC%202015%20Report%20FINAL_4-7-16.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://courts.mi.gov/Administration/admin/op/problem-solving-courts/Documents/PSC%202015%20Report%20FINAL_4-7-16.pdf Shelf Number: 139614 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationCost-Benefit AnalysisProblem-Solving Courts |
Author: Teji, Selena Title: Sentencing in California: Moving Toward a Smarter, More Cost-Effective Approach Summary: Californians have a collective interest in living in a safe and healthy environment. The state's criminal justice system is responsible for reducing crime and intervening when crime occurs, including apprehending and sentencing the perpetrator, in order to promote safe communities. In recent decades, however, harsh, one-size-fits-all sentencing laws contributed to the creation of a bloated and costly correctional system that generally fails to serve the interests of Californians. California has adopted significant criminal justice reforms over the past several years. In 2014, voters approved Proposition 47, which reclassified several drug and property crimes as misdemeanors. In addition, in 2011 state policymakers "realigned" to the state's 58 counties responsibility for supervising many people convicted of non-serious, nonviolent, and nonsexual felonies. Despite these positive steps, California's sentencing laws continue to overly rely on incarceration as the consequence for committing a felony or a misdemeanor, rather than promoting community-based interventions that could provide better avenues for rehabilitation. To be sure, California counties have adopted many alternative sentencing options following the 2011 realignment of responsibility for people convicted of low-level felonies. However, these approaches are not the norm across the state, and state sentencing laws continue to emphasize incarceration. Research casts serious doubt on the effectiveness of mass incarceration as a means of promoting public safety. Given the high social and financial costs of incarceration, California could revise its sentencing laws to more fully embrace alternative interventions intended to hold accountable people who commit a crime, correct problematic behaviors, and help communities and survivors of crime heal. Moreover, while incarceration will continue to be warranted for many offenses - including violent crimes - the question for state policymakers is whether sentence lengths are appropriate and reflect an efficient use of public resources. As one step forward, policymakers could establish a sentencing commission to examine the impact of sentence length on targeted populations, with the goal of ensuring that sentences are proportionate to the seriousness of the crime as well as to the risk that the person will reoffend. Policymakers also could amend the state's sentencing laws to generally scale back sentence lengths. In sum, significantly divesting from incarceration as a sentencing tool - and moving toward alternative sentencing options - could both increase public safety and be more cost-effective, Details: Sacramento: California Budget & Policy Center, 2015. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 25, 2016 at: http://calbudgetcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Sentencing-in-California-12172015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://calbudgetcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Sentencing-in-California-12172015.pdf Shelf Number: 139849 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationCost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CorrectionsCosts of Criminal JusticeSentencing |
Author: Bagnall, Anne-Marie Title: A systematic review of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of peer education and peer support in prisons Summary: Background: Prisoners experience significantly worse health than the general population. This review examines the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of peer interventions in prison settings. Methods: A mixed methods systematic review of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness studies, including qualitative and quantitative synthesis was conducted. In addition to grey literature identified and searches of websites, nineteen electronic databases were searched from 1985 to 2012. Study selection criteria were: Population: Prisoners resident in adult prisons and children resident in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs). Intervention: Peer-based interventions. Comparators: Review questions 3 and 4 compared peer and professionally led approaches. Outcomes: Prisoner health or determinants of health; organisational/process outcomes; views of prison populations. Study designs: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed method evaluations. Results: Fifty-seven studies were included in the effectiveness review and one study in the cost-effectiveness review; most were of poor methodological quality. Evidence suggested that peer education interventions are effective at reducing risky behaviours, and that peer support services are acceptable within the prison environment and have a positive effect on recipients, practically or emotionally. Consistent evidence from many, predominantly qualitative, studies, suggested that being a peer deliverer was associated with positive effects. There was little evidence on cost-effectiveness of peer-based interventions. Conclusions: There is consistent evidence from a large number of studies that being a peer worker is associated with positive health; peer support services are also an acceptable source of help within the prison environment and can have a positive effect on recipients. Research into cost-effectiveness is sparse. Details: BMC Public Health (2015) 15:290. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 1, 2016 at: http://old.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/s12889-015-1584-x.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: http://old.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/s12889-015-1584-x.pdf Shelf Number: 139929 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsCost-Benefit AnalysisPeer-Based ProgramsPrison Programs |
Author: University of Arizona. Southwest Institute for Research on Women (SIROW) Title: Findings from the Economic Analysis of JDC/RF: Policy Implications for Juvenile Drug Courts Summary: Findings from the National Cross - Site Evaluation of Juvenile Drug Courts and Reclaiming Futures (JDC/RF) indicate that costs associated with pro viding services in accordance with the JD C/RF integrated model are offset by substantial savings to society. The integrated model, which was created as a combination of two existing models: Juvenile Drug Courts: Strategies in Practice (JDC: SIP) & Reclaiming Futures (RF) , is part of an effort by t he Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), in partnership wit h the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to improve the effectiveness and efficacy of JDCs. T he JDC/RF National Cross - Site Evaluation includes f ive sites that received funding under this initiative . This brief describes a two - part study of J DC/RF program costs , meaning the monetary value of time and resources required to operate the program, and estimated net economic benefits , meaning the monetary value of program benefits minus the program costs . A dolescent treatment program costs and associated net benefits are not studied as frequently as adult programs , despite the fact that studies of this nature for adults have become more numerous in recent years. 1 The findings of the current study help fill this gap, lending an importan t contribution to the adolescent treatment research community. The s tudy f ound that the five sites participating in the JDC/RF National Cross - Site Evaluation experienced net benefits to society that greatly exceeded JDC/RF program costs. These benefits wer e directly related to data collected before and after the JDC/RF intervention on traditional measures of JDC programmatic success such as crime, substance abuse, education, physical health , and mental health . Findings provide preliminary ec onomic justification for the JDC/RF program Details: Tucson, AZ: The Institute, 2015?. 6p, Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 3, 2016 at: https://sirow.arizona.edu/sites/sirow.arizona.edu/files/Policy%20Brief%20%23%20Cost%20Study_FINAL_upload2_1.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://sirow.arizona.edu/sites/sirow.arizona.edu/files/Policy%20Brief%20%23%20Cost%20Study_FINAL_upload2_1.pdf Shelf Number: 140140 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisEconomic Analysis Juvenile Drug Courts Problem-Solving Courts |
Author: Lundahl, Brad Title: Prison Privatization: A Meta-Analysis of Cost Effectiveness and Quality of Confinement Indicators Summary: Study Description: Independent analysis of effectiveness research regarding privatizing prisons. Study found mixed results on comparisons of public and private facilities. The data we reviewed do not support a move toward privatization. Similarly, the data do not clearly discourage privatization despite a slight advantage for publicly managed prisons in skills training. Details: Salt Lake City: University of Utah, Utah Criminal Justice Center, 2007. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2016 at: http://ucjc.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/861.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://ucjc.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/861.pdf Shelf Number: 140262 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisPrivate Prisons Privatization |
Author: Cohen, Mark A. Title: The The 'Cost of Crime' and Benefit-Cost Analysis of Criminal Justice Policy: Understanding and Improving Upon the State-of-the-Art Summary: The use of benefit-cost analyses by criminal justice researchers has slowly been increasing over the past 30 years. While still in its infancy, benefit-cost analyses of criminal justice policies have recently moved from the academic arena to actual use by policy makers. The growing use of benefit-cost analysis in crime policy tends to be lauded by economists; however, criminologists and legal scholars are less than unanimous in their views. A recent issue of Criminology and Public Policy on the "Role of the Cost-of-Crime Literature," highlights this controversy. Two main themes can be distilled from critiques of the literature: first, the considerable uncertainty that exists in cost and benefit estimates; and second, the fact that important social costs are not being taken into account in current models. A related critique is that current methodologies to estimate the cost of crime are affected by income; bringing with it a concern that criminal justice policies based on a benefit-cost analysis will favor the rich. This research note addresses these broad questions about the role of benefit-cost analysis in the criminal justice policy arena and attempts to clear up some misunderstandings on the methodologies used to estimate the cost of crime. I also highlight some of the most important gaps in the literature for those interested in helping to improve the state-of-the-art in estimating the "cost of crime." Perhaps equally important, I hope to demystify benefit-cost analysis and unmask it for what it really is an important tool that can help policy makers systematically and transparently assess and compare options with the goal of making better policy decisions. Details: Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University, 2016. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2016 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2832944 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2832944 Shelf Number: 147935 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CrimeCosts of Criminal JusticeCriminal Justice Policy |
Author: Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council Title: Illinois Results First: The High Cost of Recidivism Summary: - In 2014, more than 40,000 people were convicted of felonies and 55,000 were convicted of misdemeanors in Illinois. Roughly 97% of those admitted to IDOC eventually return to the community. - Forty-eight percent of those released from prison each year recidivate within three years of release and 19% will recidivate within one year of release. - The average cost associated with one recidivism event is $118,746; approximately $57,418 is attributed to the tangible and intangible costs borne by victims. - Given current recidivism trends, over the next 5 years recidivism will cost Illinois over $16.7 billion. - Cost-benefit analysis can be used to calculate the benefits, measured by reduced recidivism rates, of diversion programs, alternatives to incarceration, and the incarceration of those for whom prison is the appropriate sentence. Details: Springfield, IL: SPAC, 2015. 8p., supplement. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 20, 2016 at: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/spac/pdf/Illinois_Results_First_1015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/spac/pdf/Illinois_Results_First_1015.pdf Shelf Number: 140380 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeRecidivism |
Author: Day, David M. Title: The Monetary Cost of Criminal Trajectories for an Ontario Sample of Offenders Summary: The past 15 years have seen a growing interest in studies that estimate the costs of crime. In that time, there have been advances in data linkage and methodological procedures that have resulted in better cost estimates of official and unofficial offending. Such information is crucial for cost-benefit analysis which seeks to understand whether the long-term costs of crime can be offset by investments in early intervention. This report presents findings on the longitudinal costs of criminal offending for a sample of 386 male offenders in Ontario whose offence costs were tabulated for a 15-year period, between the ages of 12 and 26 years. Cost estimates were obtained for four components: 1) victim costs; 2) correctional costs; 3) other criminal justice system (CJS) costs, for example, police, court, prosecution, and legal aid expenditures; and 4) costs associated with undetected crimes. The results indicated that the aggregate longitudinal cost of offending for this sample was $2.26 billion, an average of $5.86 million per person. Moreover, costs differed across risk trajectory groups and across developmental periods. Costs were disproportionally higher for the small group of high-rate offenders and disproportionally lower for the large group of low-rate offenders. The most costly period was mid to late adolescence, between the ages of 15 and 17, which accounted for 40% of the total costs. These results suggest that tremendous costs savings can be gained if effective developmental crime prevention programs successfully target high-risk children and youth. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2016. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report: 2015-R011: Accessed September 30, 2016 at: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/mntry-cst-crmnl-trjctrs/report-en.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Canada URL: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/mntry-cst-crmnl-trjctrs/report-en.pdf Shelf Number: 140521 Keywords: Career Criminals Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Crime Costs of Criminal Justice Life-Course Trajectories |
Author: Bartels, Lorana Title: Literature Review on Intensive Supervision Orders: A Report Prepared for the Act Justice and Community Safety Directorate Summary: This report presents a literature review in relation to intensive supervision orders (variously defined) in six countries, as follows: - Intensive Supervision Orders in New Zealand; - Conditional Sentences of Imprisonment in Canada; - Various forms of Intensive Supervision Probation in the United States; - Intensive Alternatives to Custody in England/Wales; - Intensive Supervision with Electronic Monitoring in Sweden; and - Correctional Supervision in South Africa. Each section presents an overview of the sentencing option, including the conditions to which it is subject (eg, electronic monitoring, substance abuse treatment, curfews, community service) and whether these are imposed on a mandatory or optional basis. Information on limits on the availability of the option (eg, by sentence length or offence type) is also considered. The report then presents evidence on the 'effectiveness' of each sentencing option. Due to the variety of information available, evidence of effectiveness is considered to include: - data on the use of the order, including the conditions imposed, and any impacts on the use of imprisonment; - reconviction and breach analyses; - cost-benefit analyses; - evidence of decreases in anti-social behaviour (eg, drug use) and/or increases in prosocial behaviour (eg, engagement with employment); and - research on the attitudes of a range of stakeholders, including offenders, victims, correctional officers, judicial officers and members of the public. The report presents a brief description of the electronic monitoring technology used, before examining the evidence on cost-effectiveness, reductions in reoffending and the perceptions of offenders and others affected by electronic monitoring, especially victims and those living with the offender. This section then explores some of the key practical and ethical challenges that may arise from this technology, including: workload implications; false reports; risk to the public; the challenges of involving the private sector in the delivery of community corrections; the risk of net-widening; and the offender's loss of privacy and risk of stigmatisation. The limitations of the research are acknowledged and future directions in research, technological advances and good practice principles are considered. The report concludes with summary of key findings and some observations on future directions. Details: Canberra: University of Canberra, 2014. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 11, 2016 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2669069 Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2669069 Shelf Number: 145087 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationAntisocial BehaviorCost-Benefit AnalysisElectronic MonitoringIntensive SupervisionOffender Supervision |
Author: MM Starrs Pty Ltd Title: Benefits of Theft Reform -- Technical Working Paper Summary: In accordance with the terms of the inter-government/insurance industry agreement under which it operates, the NMVTRC is required to present an evaluation of its operations to State and Territory Ministers and the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) during 2014/15. There are three discrete elements to the Review: This study of the economic and social benefits (the benefits element) of the NMVTRC's theft reform activities; A survey of stakeholders' perceptions of the NMVTRC's performance in meeting its objectives and support for its dissolution or extension (the stakeholder element); and The development of a set of recommendations by the NMVTRC on whether it should be wound-up or extended. This report deals solely with the benefits element. The report demonstrates the economic value of vehicle theft reform to Australia and the NMVTRC's considerable contribution to delivering those benefits. Details: North Melbourne Victoria: National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, 2014. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2016 : https://carsafe.com.au/assets/Benefits_Summary__Final_.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: https://carsafe.com.au/assets/Benefits_Summary__Final_.pdf Shelf Number: 145433 Keywords: Automobile TheftCost-Benefit AnalysisCrime PreventionVehicle Theft |
Author: Jacobsen, Rasmus Hojbjerg Title: Hands-on Guide to Cost-Benefit-Analysis of Crime Prevention Efforts Summary: When a policy maker or an administrator decides on how many and which of a number of proposed policy measures to implement an important piece of information is whether the effort is “worthwhile”. The precise meaning of the word “worthwhile” will depend on the context. In some cases, the question of whether a policy measure is worthwhile will be decided on a purely qualitative basis given the results of the policy measure. In other – and perhaps most – cases some sort of money evaluation will be attached to the results, and a total effect in money terms will be used to evaluate the results. This manual is concerned with the latter case. Given the large degree of competition between various projects for public funds, a compelling case for a specific project can be made if a well carried out cost-benefit-analysis shows a resulting surplus. While this criterion is obviously not the only one used, it could be an important factor when preparing policy makers to make decisions about a specific project. The basic idea behind cost-benefit-analysis is simple: calculate all benefits and all the costs associated with a specific effort, subtract the costs from the benefits while carefully addressing the time profile, and use the resulting number as an indicator for the economic profitability of the project. If the result is positive, the project produces an economic surplus, and if it is negative the project leads to an economic loss. Although this principle is simple the actual calculation is, however, in most cases somewhat more cumbersome, since the costs and benefits of a given effort can be difficult to determine. This is true for a number of reasons. First, it can be hard to decide whether the outcome for a group of participants is in fact a consequence of program participation or whether part of the outcome would have occurred anyway, in which case the resulting outcome cannot be fully attributed to the program. Second, although outcome is perhaps only measured in terms of relatively few variables, the outcomes of other, not measured, variables can also be expected to be influenced by the policy measure. In order to fully capture the program effect the outcome of these unmeasured variables also needs to be assessed. Third, there may be a selection of specific types of individuals into the projects looked at, such that the results obtained are only a good predictor of the program’s profitability for this specific group and not for a more general population. Fourth, the cost measure used should only include the extra costs incurred to run this project and not costs that would have been incurred in any case – a distinction that in some cases can be hard to make. Given these difficulties it is clear that the basis for any good cost-benefit-analysis is the available data for the costs and benefits. This manual is not a comprehensive guide to cost-benefit analysis, nor does it include a theoretical background for the analysis. For such detailed descriptions the reader is referred elsewhere. The present manual is rather a hands-on guide to administrators or external consultants who want to carry out a cost-benefit-analysis of crime prevention programs in Europe. Hopefully, this rather brief manual will also serve as an inspiration such that more cost-benefit-analyses will be carried out in the future. The remainder of the manual is structured as follows: Chapter 2 describes a number of ways to construct measures for the effects of a given project. Chapter 3 in a similar fashion shows how to calculate the costs of a project. Chapter 4 collects the information from the two previous chapters and describes the details the calculations involved in the cost-benefit-analysis. Chapter 5 concludes and discusses some of the pitfalls of the method. The appendices contain a number of tables with an overview of (i) the elements to be included in the costbenefit analysis, and (ii) cost-benefit analyses already carried out which can serve as inspiration. Details: Copenhagen: Centre for Economic and Business Research, Copenhagen Business School, 2013. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 12, 2016 at: http://openarchive.cbs.dk/bitstream/handle/10398/8878/Rasmus_Hoejbjerg_Jacobsen.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://openarchive.cbs.dk/bitstream/handle/10398/8878/Rasmus_Hoejbjerg_Jacobsen.pdf?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 130124 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCrime Prevention |
Author: Burton, Robyn Title: The Public Health Burden of Alcohol and the Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Alcohol Control Policies: An evidence review Summary: Alcohol is a prominent commodity in the UK marketplace. It is widely used in numerous social situations. For many, alcohol is associated with positive aspects of life; however there are currently over 10 million people drinking at levels which increase their risk of health harm. Among those aged 15 to 49 in England, alcohol is now the leading risk factor for ill-health, early mortality and disability and the fifth leading risk factor for illhealth across all age groups. Since 1980, sales of alcohol in England and Wales have increased by 42%, from roughly 400 million litres in the early 1980s, with a peak at 567 million litres in 2008, and a subsequent decline. This growth has been driven by increased consumption among women, a shift to higher strength products, and increasing affordability of alcohol, particularly through the 1980s and 1990s. Over this period, the way in which alcohol is sold and consumed also changed. In 2016 there were 210,000 license premises in England and Wales, a 4% increase on 2010. There has been a shift in drinking location such that most alcohol is now bought from shops and drunk at home. Although consumption has declined in recent years, levels of abstinence have also increased. Consequently, it is unclear how much of the decline is actually related to drinkers consuming less alcohol and how much to an increasing proportion of the population not drinking at all. In recent years, many indicators of alcohol-related harm have increased. There are now over 1 million hospital admissions relating to alcohol each year, half of which occur in the lowest three socioeconomic deciles. Alcohol-related mortality has also increased, particularly for liver disease which has seen a 400% increase since 1970, and this trend is in stark contrast to much of Western Europe. In England, the average age at death of those dying from an alcohol-specific cause is 54.3 years. The average age of death from all causes is 77.6 years. More working years of life are lost in England as a result of alcohol-related deaths than from cancer of the lung, bronchus, trachea, colon, rectum, brain, pancreas, skin, ovary, kidney, stomach, bladder and prostate, combined. Despite this burden of harm, some positive trends have emerged over this period, particularly indicators which relate to alcohol consumption among those aged less than 18 years, and there have been steady reductions in alcohol-related road traffic crashes. The public health burden of alcohol is wide ranging, relating to health, social or economic harms. These can be tangible, direct costs (including costs to the health, criminal justice and welfare systems), or indirect costs (including the costs of lost productivity due to absenteeism, unemployment, decreased output or lost working years due to premature pension or death). Harms can also be intangible, and difficult to cost, including those assigned to pain and suffering, poor quality of life or the emotional distress caused by living with a heavy drinker. The spectrum of harm ranges from those that are relatively mild, such as drinkers loitering near residential streets, through to those that are severe, including death or lifelong disability. Many of these harms impact upon other people, including relationship partners, children, relatives, friends, coworkers and strangers. In sum, the economic burden of alcohol is substantial, with estimates placing the annual cost to be between 1.3% and 2.7% of annual GDP. Few studies report costs on the magnitude of harm to people other than the drinker, so the economic burden of alcohol consumption is generally underestimated. Crucially, the financial burden which alcohol-related harm places on society is not reflected in its market price, with taxpayers picking up a larger amount of the overall cost compared to the individual drinkers. This should provide impetus for governments to implement effective policies to reduce the public health impact of alcohol, not only because it is an intrinsically desirable societal goal, but because it is an important aspect of economic growth and competitiveness. Reflecting three key influencers of alcohol consumption – price (affordability), ease of purchase (availability) and the social norms around its consumption (acceptability) – an extensive array of policies have been developed with the primary aim of reducing the public health burden of alcohol. The present review evaluates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of each of these policy approaches. Details: London; Public Health England, 2016. 241p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 2, 2016 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/574055/alcohol_public_health_burden_evidence_review.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/574055/alcohol_public_health_burden_evidence_review.pdf Shelf Number: 140273 Keywords: Alcohol Related Crime, Disorder Alcoholism Cost-Benefit Analysis |
Author: Lee, Stephanie Title: What Works and What Does Not: Benefit-Cost Findings from WSIPP Summary: For the last 20 years, WSIPP has conducted systematic evidence reviews and economic analysis on a variety of topics for the Washington State Legislature. Over time, we have improved and refined the methods we use to conduct this research. When WSIPP undertakes an economic analysis at the direction of the legislature, we use a standardized set of procedures to collect and analyze research literature. We then apply consistent methods to translate the research findings to dollars and cents, asking, “What are the overall benefits and costs?” of each program or policy option. Finally, we use information about the uncertainty in the research findings and economic assumptions to compute the risk associated with each policy option. The primary goal of this research is to provide the legislature with objective information about the long-term economic consequences of each program or policy option reviewed. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2011. 14o, Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 30, 2017 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1602/Wsipp_What-Works-and-What-Does-Not-Benefit-Cost-Findings-from-WSIPP_Report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1602/Wsipp_What-Works-and-What-Does-Not-Benefit-Cost-Findings-from-WSIPP_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 146247 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCrime PreventionEconomic AnalysisEvidence-Based Policies |
Author: Henrichson, Christian Title: Using Cost-Benefit Analysis for Justice Policymaking Summary: Justice policymakers must make tough decisions with limited resources. Any number of investments, whether in law enforcement, corrections, probation—or even programs outside the justice system, such as early childhood education—can promote public safety. The critical question is which choices produce the greatest benefits. Increasingly, government officials and other decision makers are turning to cost-benefit analysis (CBA)—an economic tool that compares the costs of programs with the benefits they deliver—to help weigh their options. But justice-related cost-benefit studies can be complicated, technical, and hard to understand, making it easy for people to misinterpret their findings and overlook critical information that can aid their decisions. This white paper was written for a broad range of readers, including elected officials and their staff, policymakers, justice agency personnel, and service providers. It is meant to help people make sense of justice CBAs even if they have little interest or expertise in examining the details of a cost-benefit study. The paper draws on the experience of policymakers and practitioners, as well as CBA experts and researchers, to explain: what CBA is, how it’s applied to justice policies and programs, and how it differs from other economic tools; how to assess the overall strengths and weaknesses of a cost-benefit study; what potential pitfalls to avoid when interpreting cost-benefit results; what information beyond the bottom-line results to pay attention to in a CBA; and how CBA fits within larger policy, planning, and decision-making processes. Readers can use this paper to help them know what to look for in a justice-related CBA, understand what cost-benefit results mean, and use those results to inform their decisions. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2014. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 30, 2017 at: https://storage.googleapis.com/vera-web-assets/downloads/Publications/using-cost-benefit-analysis-for-justice-policymaking/legacy_downloads/using-cost-benefit-analysis-for-justice-policymaking.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://storage.googleapis.com/vera-web-assets/downloads/Publications/using-cost-benefit-analysis-for-justice-policymaking/legacy_downloads/using-cost-benefit-analysis-for-justice-policymaking.pdf Shelf Number: 147339 Keywords: Cost-Benefit Analysis Costs of Criminal Justice Criminal Justice Policy |
Author: Drapeau, Sylvie Title: PréCrimAdo Program Summary: In recent years, three youth centres (Québec, Chaudière–Appalaches and Montérégie) and a team of researchers from Laval University collaborated to examine the results of the PréCrimAdo Program (preventing the criminalization of high-risk adolescents). The program strives to prevent the criminalization of high-risk adolescents by implementing an intervention based on the mediation approach with a category of youth particularly at risk of engaging in a criminal trajectory, namely, youth aged 12 to 15 who have been reported under Section 38(f) (serious behavioural disturbance) of the Quebec Youth Protection Act. The tested approach relies on a negotiation process that is based on the interests of the participants. It focuses on identifying the participants' needs and choice of options, and leads to the proposal of a fair agreement that is satisfactory to all parties. This interest-based negotiation process is one in a range of approaches to alternative dispute resolution, and more specifically, mediation-based approaches. Evaluative research seeks to better understand the processes and effects of the intervention program by looking at the program's implementation from a youth-protection context specifically, and by gauging the extent to which the effects of the program are achieved. This research also includes a cost-benefit evaluation of the program. Details: Ottawa: National Crime Prevention Centre, Public Safety Canada, 2014. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Evaluation Summaries ES-2014-39: Accessed February 13, 2017 at: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2014-ES-39/2014-es-39-eng.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Canada URL: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2014-ES-39/2014-es-39-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 147291 Keywords: At-Risk YouthCost-Benefit AnalysisDelinquency PreventionInterventionsMediation |
Author: Peixoto, Betania Totino Title: Preventing Criminality: An Economic Evaluation of a Brazilian Program Summary: In this work we carried out an economic evaluation of Fica Vivo program in its pilot area, Morro das Pedras slum. Fica Vivo is the main program of prevention and control of criminality that is being carried in Brazil. This program was based on the CeaseFire Project proposed by the School of Public Health of the University of Illinois - Chicago in the nineties and that inspired several programs in other countries. The principal objective of the program is the reduction of homicides in areas of hot spots. Regarding homicides, in general, in Brazil, these hot spots occur in slums. The program combines preventive with repressive (police/ judicial) activities. This evaluation is done considering the pilot area of the program, Morro das Pedras slum, situated in Belo Horizonte city, Brazil. The impact of the program is estimated using a Double Difference Matching method applied to a panel data of police records between 2000 and 2006. The impact variable is the half-yearly homicide rate per one hundred thousand inhabitants. The costs were accounted based on accountability information sourced by the Social Defense Secretary and the State Police. The results show that the program reduces criminality, diminishing the homicide rate. Details: Unpublished paper, 2008. 27o, Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 13, 2017 at: http://www.cedlas-er.org/sites/default/files/aux_files/peixoto.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Brazil URL: http://www.cedlas-er.org/sites/default/files/aux_files/peixoto.pdf Shelf Number: 147296 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCrime AnalysisHomicidesHot SpotsSlumsSpatial AnalysisViolent Crime |
Author: Martin, Lauren Title: Early Intervention to Avoid Sex Trading and Trafficking of Minnesota's Female Youth: A Benefit-Cost Analysis: Full Report Summary: We provide analysis of an innovative policy to reduce social harms from sex trading among female youth, including adolescents (e.g. survival sex, prostitution, sex trafficking). The policy consists of early intervention efforts with adolescent females to prevent and dissuade them from sex trading. Our framework treats the program as an investment project and calculates its net present value, where the benefits are understood to be harms avoided by successfully reducing the extent of sex trading. We approach the analysis from the narrow perspective of the public budget. That is, both the cost of the program and the specific harms from sex trading are evaluated in terms of the burden they impose on a community's government expenditures. We do not examine the full social costs of sex trading. Our valuation of harms is a conservative estimate based on available social science data. We conduct sensitivity analysis with respect to key model parameters such as program effectiveness, discount rate and other model parameters. The program returns positive Net Present Value in all but the most pessimistic scenarios, which we believe are highly unlikely to prevail. In our best estimate it returns $34 in benefit for each $1 in cost. Details: Minneapolis: Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, 2012. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2017 at: http://mnhttf.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Benefit-Cost-Study-Full.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://mnhttf.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Benefit-Cost-Study-Full.pdf Shelf Number: 145360 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sex TraffickingCost-Benefit AnalysisHuman traffickingProstitutionSex Trafficking |
Author: Collins, Susan E. Title: LEAD Program Evaluation: Criminal Justice and Legal System Utilization and Associated Costs Summary: -- Background: LEAD is a prebooking diversion program that offers low-level drug and prostitution offenders harm reduction-oriented case management and legal services as an alternative to incarceration and prosecution. -- Purpose: This report describes findings from a quantitative analysis comparing outcomes for LEAD participants versus "system-as-usual" control participants on criminal justice and legal system utilization (i.e., jail, prison, prosecution, defense) and associated costs. - Findings: - The cost of the LEAD program averaged $899 per person per month. However, these costs included program start-up and decreased to $532 per month towards the end of the evaluation. - Across nearly all outcomes, we observed statistically significant reductions for the LEAD group compared to the control group on average yearly criminal justice and legal system utilization and associated costs. - Jail bookings: Compared to the control group, LEAD program participants had 1.4 fewer jail bookings on average per year subsequent to their evaluation entry. - Jail days: Compared to the control group, the LEAD group spent 39 fewer days in jail per year subsequent to their evaluation entry. - Prison incarceration: Compared to the control group, the LEAD group had 87% lower odds of at least one prison incarceration subsequent to evaluation entry. - Misdemeanor and felony cases: There were no statistically significant LEAD effects on the average yearly number of misdemeanor cases. Compared to control participants, however, LEAD participants showed significant reductions in felony cases. - Costs associated with criminal justice and legal system utilization: From pre- to post-evaluation entry, LEAD participants showed substantial cost reductions (-$2100), whereas control participants showed cost increases (+$5961). -- Interpretation of findings: - LEAD program costs were commensurate with another supportive program for homeless individuals in King County. It should be noted that LEAD program costs will vary widely across communities depending on LEAD participant characteristics (e.g., prevalence of homelessness) and community factors (e.g., cost of living, Medicaid coverage). - Compared to system-as-usual controls, LEAD participants evinced meaningful and statistically significant reductions in criminal justice and legal system utilization and associated costs. -- Next Steps: This report is one in a series being prepared by the University of Washington LEAD Evaluation Team over a two-year period. The next report will be released in Winter 2015/2016 and will report on within-subjects changes among LEAD participants on psychosocial, housing and quality-of-life outcomes following their participation in LEAD. Details: Seattle: Harm Reduction Research and Treatment Lab University of Washington - Harborview Medical Center, 2015. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 14, 2017 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1185392/26401889/1437170937787/June+2015+LEAD-Program-Evaluation-Criminal-Justice-and-Legal-System-Utilization-and-Associated-Costs.pdf?token=yow6pMZWOpQJRF2rw5LaYUHpcO0%3D Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1185392/26401889/1437170937787/June+2015+LEAD-Program-Evaluation-Criminal-Justice-and-Legal-System-Utilization-and-Associated-Costs.pdf?token=yow6pMZWOpQJRF2rw5LaYUHpcO0%3D Shelf Number: 146088 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationCost-Benefit AnalysisDrug OffendersOffender Diversion ProgramsProstitutesTreatment Program |
Author: Nelson-Dusek, Stephanie Title: Look Up and Hope: Final Evaluation Report Summary: Since its founding in 1896, Volunteers of America has supported and empowered America's most vulnerable populations, including those returning from prison. The past several decades have seen a particularly staggering rise in the growth of mothers affected by incarceration. Between 1991 and midyear 2007, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that the number of mothers in federal and state prisons had increased 122 percent. During the same period, the number of children with mothers in prison had more than doubled, rising to almost 150,000 children nationwide. To address this issue, Volunteers of America launched Look Up and Hope, an innovative initiative that works with the whole family - mother, caregiver, and child - to improve the lives of those affected by maternal incarceration. Over the past five years, Wilder Research has evaluated Look Up and Hope to determine the impact that the program has on families. This final evaluation report illustrates the successes and challenges of those participating in the program. Successes - Strengthened families: After participating in Look Up and Hope, families appear to have stronger connections - meaning increased quantity and quality of contact between mothers, children, and caregivers. For example, 61 percent of children were either living with their mother or had increased contact with her, and 60 percent were reported to have an improved relationship with their mother. - Positive school outcomes: The majority of school-aged children (6+ years old) either increased or maintained their grades, attendance, and behavior. Most prominently, nearly four in ten (37%) children had improved their grade point average by their follow-up assessment, according to family coaches. - Healthy children and caregivers: Overall, the children and caregivers served by the program were relatively healthy. The majority of children (61%) were reported to be in good health at both their baseline and follow-up assessments, and family coaches assessed nearly all children (94%) and caregivers (93%) to have their basic needs met. - Improved parenting skills: Nearly all (97%) of the mothers who received parenting education or training showed improved knowledge of parenting skills. - Improved employment status for mothers: The majority of mothers with available follow-up data experienced a change in employment status from baseline to follow-up. For those who did, over four in ten went from unemployment to either full-time or part-time employment. In addition to the annual report, Wilder Research conducted a Social Return on Investment (SROI) study to estimate some of the potential long-term cost savings that the Look Up and Hope program could eventually provide to society. The study found that, even if the only benefits the program produced were improved long-term outcomes for some participating children (e.g., avoidance of out-of-home placements and school failures), the net cost savings to society could be as much as $48,495 per child. This represents a potential return on investment of $14.31 for every dollar invested. The full SROI (including the limitations of the analysis) is appended. Details: St. Paul, MN: Wilder Research, 2016. 144p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2017 at: https://www.wilder.org/Wilder-Research/Publications/Studies/Strengthening%20Families%20Impacted%20by%20Incarceration%20-%20Evaluation%20of%20Volunteers%20of%20America%20Programs/Look%20Up%20and%20Hope%20Final%20Evaluation%20Report,%20Full%20Report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.wilder.org/Wilder-Research/Publications/Studies/Strengthening%20Families%20Impacted%20by%20Incarceration%20-%20Evaluation%20of%20Volunteers%20of%20America%20Programs/Look%20Up%20and%20Hope%20Final%20Evaluation%20R Shelf Number: 146447 Keywords: Children of PrisonersCost-Benefit AnalysisFamilies of InmatesFemale OffendersParentingPrisoner ReentryVolunteers in criminal Justice |
Author: Great Britain. National Audit Office Title: The New Generation Electronic Monitoring Programme Summary: The Ministry of Justice (the Ministry) has so far failed to achieve value for money with its management of the new generation electronic monitoring programme, which is estimated to cost L130 million by 2024-25, according to the latest report from the National Audit Office. The service itself is expected to cost L470 million between 2017-18 and 2024-25. The Ministry pursued an overly ambitious strategy which was not grounded in evidence, and failed to deliver against its vision. It has learned from its previous failings, and has begun to make necessary improvements. But major risks remain. The electronic monitoring of offenders has an important role in supporting rehabilitation in the community and as an alternative to prison. In 2011, the Ministry launched a programme to develop a new 'world-leading' ankle tag that combined radio frequency and GPS technology. It set out to procure the service using a new 'tower' delivery model, which incorporated contracts with four separate suppliers who would provide four different elements of the service, with their work pulled together by a contracted integrator. The NAO's report finds that the Ministry did not do enough to establish the case for a major expansion of location monitoring using GPS, and that the Ministry's bespoke requirements for new world-leading tags proved too ambitious. Furthermore, the planned timescale for the programme was unachievable. The Ministry initially allowed 15 months after signing the contract for the tags in August 2012 to develop, test, manufacture and deploy the new tags. Contracts, however, were not signed until July 2014 due to the discovery of overbilling by G4S and Serco, followed by two failed procurements for the tags. The Ministry has now appointed G4S as preferred bidder for the tags. It expects the new tags to be deployed from the end of 2018, completing roll-out six months later. This represents a total delay to the programme of five years. Five years after initiation, the programme has not delivered the intended benefits. The Ministry had expected the programme to reduce annual monitoring costs by at least 9% (L9 million) and potentially up to 30% (L30 million). The Ministry has so far spent around $60 million and remains reliant on the legacy services. However it has reported savings of 10.6% by negotiating with Capita, the new monitoring supplier, which has streamlined the existing operation over time. The NAO finds that the Ministry adopted a new high-risk and unfamiliar approach to the procurement, and failed to manage the implications. Furthermore, the Ministry also failed to anticipate and resolve the implications of its delivery model, which led to disputes with Capita and other suppliers. The Ministry's governance arrangements were weak, causing slow decision making and allowing internal disagreements to persist. External reviews noted a lack of accountability to Senior Responsible Owners and unhelpful disunity between operational, technical, commercial and programme staff. This was compounded by a lack of capacity and capability in the context of high competing demand from other projects. Following internal and external reviews of the programme in 2015 and 2016, the Ministry has taken action to address many of the issues. This includes changing approach to buying available off-the-shelf tags and bringing the integration function back in house. Leadership is now more stable and cohesive. In March 2017 the Infrastructure and Projects Authority assessed that the programme team had been reinvigorated following key staffing changes and that delivery confidence had improved. However significant risk remains. Achieving an effective new monitoring service without relying on a contracted integrator will require the Ministry to be much more closely involved than before in integrating the end-to-end service. It will have to build and sustain its technical and programme management capabilities to effectively perform this expanded role. Details: London: NAO, 2017. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 7, 2017 at: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/The-new-generation-electronic-monitoring-programme.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/The-new-generation-electronic-monitoring-programme.pdf Shelf Number: 146759 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationCost-Benefit AnalysisElectronic MonitoringOffender Supervision |
Author: KPMG Title: Criminal Justice System Review: An Assessment of the County of Riverside's Criminal Justice System Organizational, Operational, and Financial Performance, and the Law Enforcement Contract City Rates, 2016. 165p. Summary: In October 2015, the County of Riverside (County) Board of Supervisors (Board) engaged KPMG to conduct a review of the Criminal Justice System, focusing on an organizational, operational, and financial review of the Office of the District Attorney, Probation Department, Office of the Public Defender, and Office of the Sheriff (collectively "the agencies;" "public safety departments;" or individually "agency") as well as a law enforcement contract city rate review. The key objectives of the review were as follows: 1. Evaluate Department Operations - Evaluating public safety department expenditures and procedures, including the budgets, administrative overhead, and regular and special program administration. 2. Analyze Cost Methodologies - Review of subordinate contractual agreements, specifically the methodology used to establish contract rates and the degree of actual cost recovery from city contracts for all law enforcement services, including liability costs. 3. Provide Recommendations - Provide recommendations to the Board of Supervisors where duplication of effort or other opportunities for improved efficiencies or options to maximize the County's return on investment can be identified. Details: Riverside, CA: County of Riverside, 2016. 165p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 21, 2017 at: http://www.riversidesheriff.org/pdf/BOS_Item_16-03_KPMG-PublicSafetyReview.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.riversidesheriff.org/pdf/BOS_Item_16-03_KPMG-PublicSafetyReview.pdf Shelf Number: 146807 Keywords: Administration of Criminal Justice Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal Justice Criminal Justice Systems |
Author: McDougall, Cynthia Title: Benefit-Cost Analyses of Sentencing Summary: Sentencing policies are most frequently designed by policy-makers and implemented by the courts with the aim of punishing, deterring and rehabilitating offenders in order to reduce future re-offending. However many sentencing decisions are made without knowledge of the effectiveness of sentences in achieving their objectives, or the costs and benefits of the different sentencing alternatives. The following systematic review was conducted in order to address these questions and to review the existing evidence on the costs and benefits of different sentencing options. Results from costeffectiveness studies were retained to provide supporting information. Objective The objective of the review was to identify and assess the quality of studies of the costs and benefits of different sentencing options. Search Strategy Pre-screening and hand-searching of published and available unpublished literature was completed by two independent reviewers. The structured searches were carried out on studies published between 1980-2001, using nine electronic databases and by consulting experts in the field. Selection Criteria Studies were included in the review if they contained information on the costs and benefits of sentencing options. Due to the small number of benefit-cost studies found, cost-effectiveness study outcomes were also retained. Data collection and analysis Results from nine benefit-cost studies and eleven cost-effectiveness studies are reported in narrative and tabular form. Benefit-cost ratios are presented alongside benefit-cost outcome measures. The quality of studies is reported using the Maryland Scientific Scale (Sherman, Farrington, Welsh & Mackenzie, 2002) and a Benefit-Cost Validity Scale - Revised (Cohen & McDougall, 2008, Appendix 1). Main results The review found only nine studies providing costs and benefits information. Six of these studies were assessed as providing a 'valid' or 'comprehensive' benefit-cost analysis, acceptable on the Benefit-Cost Validity Scale - Revised, covering a range of different sentences. Two studies of In-prison Sex Offender Treatment were found to be cost-beneficial, in addition to an Intensive Supervision program and a Youth Wilderness Program, though the two latter interventions are less well-supported by the wider research evidence. Diversion from imprisonment to drug treatment was assessed by its authors to be cost-beneficial; and imprisonment for high risk offenders was considered to be cost-beneficial, though not for less prolific offenders or for drug offenders. The three studies which provided only a partial benefit-cost analysis examined effectiveness of probation vs. prison, prisoners released early compared to those serving a full term, and house arrest with electronic monitoring. Reviewer's comments Due to the small number of studies uncovered by the review and, in some cases, poor methodologies, it has not been possible to draw firm conclusions from the individual studies in order to make comparisons between studies on the benefit-cost of particular sentencing options. Tentative conclusions are drawn, where supporting evidence is available, and the authors recommend improved quality of research design and the development of standardized methodologies for assessing the costs and benefits of criminal justice interventions. Details: Oslo: Campbell Collaboration, 2008. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: Campbell Systematic Review 2008:10: Accessed August 28, 2017 at: https://www.campbellcollaboration.org/media/k2/attachments/1041_R.pdf Year: 2008 Country: International URL: https://www.campbellcollaboration.org/media/k2/attachments/1041_R.pdf Shelf Number: 146908 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisPunishment Sentencing |
Author: Kubiak, Sheryl Title: Evaluation of the Wayne County Mental Health Court. Year 5: Long‐term Outcomes and Cost Savings Wayne County, Michigan Summary: A Wayne County MHC was initially funded in December 2008 as a pilot program in a joint collaboration between the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO), Michigan Department of Community Health, and Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority (DWMHA). Evaluations conducted during the first three years of operation (2009-2011) focused on development, implementation, processes, and assessment of preliminary outcomes, as well as an initial cost analysis of the program. The fourth year of operation (2012) corresponded to the end of the pilot phase and assessment of the eight pilot MHCs as part of a statewide outcome evaluation. The fifth year of operation (2013) provided the opportunity to assess the long‐term outcomes and cost savings of the program as individuals involved with the program in 2009 - 2011 have been discharged or rejected from the program for one year or more. Between the inception of the MHC in April of 2009 and September 2013, nearly 300 individuals were screened for participation in the program. Of those screened, 199 individuals were admitted to and 91 were rejected from the MHC. At the time of this report, 50 individuals were actively engaged in the program and 149 were discharged. Of those discharged, 105 were discharged for more than one year, 40 successfully and 65 unsuccessfully. Those rejected from the MHC present an opportunity to compare outcomes and costs of MHC participants (Treatment Group) to similar individuals who did not participate in the MHC (Comparison Group). Of the 91 individuals rejected from MHC, 33 were excluded from analysis because the reason for rejection suggested they were dissimilar from the Treatment Group. Of the remaining 58, 45 individuals were rejected from MHC for more than one year. As a result, three groups were used to illustrate the long‐term outcomes and cost analysis: Successful (N=40), Unsuccessful (N=65), and Rejected (N=45). All three groups had similar characteristics at admission to/rejection from the MHC. The average age across all three groups was 37 years old and 50%-54% of each group was of minority status. There were no significant differences by mental health diagnosis, though co‐occurring substance use disorders were more common for the Treatment Group (86%-88%) than the Comparison Group (74%). The proportion of females was higher in the Treatment Groups (31%-33%) compared to the Comparison Group (16%). There were differences in terms of the assessed risk: the proportion of those in the Successful Group assessed as "high risk" overall and for violence was significantly lower than others. Despite similarities across the groups at admission/rejection, the Successful Group had better long‐term criminal justice and treatment outcomes. In terms of recidivism, only 18% of the Successful Group experienced any incarceration in the post‐MHC period compared to 69% (Unsuccessful) and 88% (Rejected), incurring just 10 days of incarceration compared to 153 (Unsuccessful) and 98 days (Rejected). Similarly, the Successful Group demonstrated optimal response in terms of mental health treatment: the average number of low‐level services (e.g. group/individual sessions, med reviews) increased post‐MHC, indicating sustained engagement, while high‐level services (e.g. hospitalization, crisis residential) decreased.Reduced criminal justice involvement and high‐level treatment need, translated to cost savings for members of the Treatment Group. Applying unit costs to standard transactions incurred by members of the Treatment and Comparison Groups in the post‐MHC period, a cost savings of $22,865 per successful participant and $7,741 per unsuccessful participant as compared to those rejected by the MHC. The driving factor in the cost savings between the groups are victimization costs. Extrapolating these costs across all participants of the MHC, yields a total savings of $1,417,740 for those discharged or rejected from the MHC for more than one year to date. Details: East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, 2014. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2017 at: https://socialwork.msu.edu/sites/default/files/Research/docs/WayneMHCCourt.Final.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://socialwork.msu.edu/sites/default/files/Research/docs/WayneMHCCourt.Final.pdf Shelf Number: 147021 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationCost-Benefit AnalysisMental Health CourtsMental Health ServicesMentally Ill OffendersProblem-Solving Courts |
Author: Native Counselling Services of Alberta Title: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Hollow Water's Community Holistic Circle Healing Process (APC 20 CA (2001) Summary: The Solicitor General's Aboriginal Community Corrections Initiative (ACCI) and Justice Canada's Aboriginal Justice Strategy (AJS) have both implied that improvements to justice and corrections in Aboriginal communities would result in cost savings to governments. Although a cost-benefit analysis can be undertaken, it is particularly difficult to ascertain the costs associated with community wellness strategies, and, therefore, any potential savings to policing, administrating justice and corrections. The Hollow Water First Nation Community Holistic Circle Healing (CHCH) strategy is the most mature healing process in Canada. While integrating elements for a number of federal and provincially funded services (i.e., policing, justice, corrections, health and social services) CHCH provides a unique opportunity to explore the costs associated with its various components. Clearly, Aboriginal culture, value-system and process differ significantly from the dominant society. In order to perform research that is ethical, careful and thorough, comparable linkages between Justice and Aboriginal criteria must be explored in different ways. The real value of CHCH work can only be identified by the community members impacted by the healing process; typically, however, the benefits of this process have not been acknowledged nor measured by the dominant society. Yet, the benefits of the CHCH activity have touched all aspects of life in Hollow Water, many of which, cannot be given a specific dollar value. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to adequately place a dollar value on the depth, quality, commitment and sustainability of the substantial healing work achieved in Hollow Water, and the impressive track record CHCH holds. To overcome what appears to be a significant obstacle, the research team collaborated with the community to develop a common understanding of the CHCH research & healing process with community members and to express the core elements/dynamics/process of CHCH healing activity. This collaboration resulted in a clear comparison of some aspects of the CHCH process with mainstream judicial, victim and family services available in Manitoba. In addition, it provided an indication of many value-added benefits of the CHCH program, which are difficult to measure, unique and have far-reaching community healing implications. Details: Ottawa: Aboriginal Corrections Policy Unit, Solicitor General of Canada , 2001. 166p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 11, 2017 at: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/cst-bnft-hllw-wtr/cst-bnft-hllw-wtr-eng.pdf Year: 2001 Country: Canada URL: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/cst-bnft-hllw-wtr/cst-bnft-hllw-wtr-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 147213 Keywords: Aboriginal PeoplesCost-Benefit AnalysisRestorative JusticeVictim-Offender Mediation |
Author: Guerin, Paul Title: City of Albuquerque Heading Home Initiative Cost Study Report Final Summary: The Albuquerque Heading Home (AHH) Initiative seeks to target the most vulnerable individuals within the homeless population. The program is designed to offer immediate housing to eligible persons referred from case management agencies, who self-refer, and who are identified and recruited through an outreach program. This process is described later and is based on the Housing First model. Such individuals, who have co-occurring behavioral health problems and a history of substance abuse, must meet as many as three criteria to qualify for the Heading Home program: 1) They must provide proof of homelessness, 2) they must provide proof of low-income, and 3) they must, depending on the source of the housing voucher, provide proof of a behavioral health disorder. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), chronic homelessness refers to an "individual who has been continuously homeless for a year or more or has experienced at least four episodes of homelessness in the last three years and has a disability" (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2012). Such individuals, in addition to those with high Vulnerability Index (VI) scores, are considered to be the most vulnerable. Developed by Common Ground, the VI is an instrument which measures and identifies the most vulnerable homeless persons. The VI features a series of variables designed to enable staff or volunteer members to quantify the degree of an individual's risk of serious injury, illness, and death. The index scores account for the length of homelessness, the time spent on the streets, and the mental and physical status of the individual (Moreno, 2012). As of late September 2014, the AHH Initiative had surveyed over 1,400 individuals sleeping on the streets or in shelters using the Vulnerability Index (AHH, 2013). AHH discontinued using the VI in September 2014 and since then has been using the VI-SPDAT. The VI-SPDAT combines the Vulnerability Index with the Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT). A more complete description of the VI-SPDAT can be found at: http://100khomes.org/blog/introducing-the-vi-spdat-pre-screen-survey. According to AHH program records as of late September 2015, a total of 407 individuals had been housed. Of that number 250 were at that time currently still housed, 33 were deceased, 34 had been successfully discharged, 67 had been unsuccessfully discharged, and 23 had been lost to contact. The program began on January 31, 2011 and the program accepted its first client on February 1, 2011. Ultimately, this research is designed to study the costs before and after the provision of housing for the most vulnerable chronically homeless persons in Albuquerque, New Mexico who have become housed in the Albuquerque Heading Home Initiative. A first phase report completed in September 2013 with a one-year study time pre- and posthousing period with 48 AHH clients who became study group members found one-year post-Heading Home study group member costs were 31.6% less than the one-year pre-Heading Home study group member costs (Guerin, et. al, 2013). This phase of the study includes 95 study group members and expands the study time frame up to 4 years. Details: Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico, Institute for Social Research, 2016. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 16, 2017 at: http://isr.unm.edu/reports/2016/city-of-albuquerque-heading-home-initiative-cost-study-report-final.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://isr.unm.edu/reports/2016/city-of-albuquerque-heading-home-initiative-cost-study-report-final.pdf Shelf Number: 147350 Keywords: Anti-Social Behavior Cost-Benefit AnalysisHomeless Persons Homelessness Housing Program |
Author: Doleac, Jennifer L. Title: The Interaction and Impact of State DNA Database Laws, Final Summary Overview Summary: Despite the widespread use of criminal offender DNA databases by the law enforcement community, relatively little is known about their real-world effects on criminal behavior. The purpose of DNA databases is to quickly and accurately match crime scene evidence with known offenders. They aim to reduce crime by increasing the probability of punishment, conditional on offending. They also exhibit large returns to scale. For these reasons, DNA databases are likely to be far more cost-effective than traditional law enforcement tools. Indeed, previous research has shown that DNA databases have large crime-reducing effects at the state level (Doleac, 2015). However, because DNA database expansions are - like most crime policies - legislated at the state level, the resulting policies may not be efficient from a national perspective. Each state will weigh its own costs and benefits when making policy decisions, without regard for their effects on other states. But state DNA databases do not exist in a vacuum: they could have effects on criminal behavior elsewhere. The federal government can improve the national efficiency of state-level policies by inducing states to consider the costs and benefits to their neighbors - i.e., to internalize the externalities. The federal government has invested a large amount of money in helping states expand their databases and clear sample backlogs, presumably because it perceives positive externalities to state database expansions. Positive externalities would exist if offenders are highly mobile, and are deterred or incapacitated upon being added to a state database. If they stop committing crime, this would reduce crime in other states. Positive externalities could also exist if profiles from one state help other states catch and incapacitate offenders. One important aspect of DNA database policy in the United States is that states can search for profile matches across state lines, using CODIS. This should increase the positive externalities of state-level expansions. For instance, if Georgia expands its database, neighboring states such as Florida could benefit from being able to search those additional profiles. Depending on how often crimes in Florida are committed by out-of-state offenders, the expansion of Georgia's database could help Florida identify and convict more offenders, reducing its own crime rate. When Georgia is weighing the costs and benefits of expanding its database, it will probably not consider these external benefits, and so its database will be inefficiently small; hence the justification for federal funding to encourage more expansions. However, there could be negative externalities, particularly if a state's database expansion induces probable offenders to move to another state. For instance, suppose Georgia adds felony arrestees to its database, but Florida does not include that group. Offenders in Georgia who think they could be arrested for a felony will have an incentive to move to Florida, to avoid DNA profiling and therefore detection for past or future crimes. (Such a behavioral effect is not unreasonable to expect: we typically assume that human capital is mobile, and that workers move to places with better jobs.) In this case, Georgia's database expansion would displace some of its own crime to Florida. As before, Georgia would not include this external cost in its cost-benefit analysis, but in this case a state database that seems optimal from the state's perspective will be inefficiently large from the national perspective. Which of these externalities dominates in the DNA database context is an empirical question. The goal of this project is to answer that question. This report summarizes the main findings. Details: Final report to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2017. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 20, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/251035.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/251035.pdf Shelf Number: 147416 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCriminal DeterrenceCriminal InvestigationDNA FingerprintingDNA TypingRecidivismReoffending |
Author: Chapin, Meyli Title: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Criminal Record Expungement in Santa Clara County Summary: n this report, we conduct a cost-benefit analysis of record expungement in Santa Clara County, California. Through the criminal record expungement process, individuals who have committed offenses and then served time in county jail or a period of probation can legally apply to have these past offenses erased from their public record. Applying for expungement is a legal right. However, it is not pursued by many people with eligible convictions who could benefit from it due to lack of awareness and/or inadequate resources. Having one's record expunged greatly increases the chances of being hired because it prevents a potential employer from seeing the criminal record of a job applicant. The stigma of a criminal record is enough to discourage more than half of employers from hiring someone. Expunging records helps improve economic productivity and increases tax revenue. In this report, we present a cost-benefit analysis of record clearance. Due to data considerations, we focus on the costs and benefits of expunging the records of exoffenders served by the RCP of San Jose State University. We identified preliminary costs and benefits by carrying out a literature review of relevant reports, academic journals, studies, and books. We also conducted several interviews with practitioners and experts from the Public Defender's office, the Stanford Law School, San Jose Office of Reentry Services, and the Santa Clara Probation Office. Concurrently, we analyzed original data collected by members of San Jose State University's Record Clearance Project (RCP). These steps allowed us to further refine our costs and benefits, which we then converted into dollar amounts to the greatest extent possible. We found the following costs to be the most relevant to our analysis: processing costs for the probation office and the court system, legal assistance, as well as the perceived costs to employers. These costs were weighed against the following benefits: increased income, increased GDP, increased tax revenues, a reduction in government assistance, a reduction in recidivism, and an increase in additional societal benefits, such as access to housing. Details: Stanford, CA: Stanford University, Public Policy, 2014. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 11, 2017 at: https://publicpolicy.stanford.edu/publications/cost-benefit-analysis-criminal-record-expungement-santa-clara-county Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://publicpolicy.stanford.edu/publications/cost-benefit-analysis-criminal-record-expungement-santa-clara-county Shelf Number: 147667 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCriminal Records Expungement |
Author: Western Australia. Office of the Auditor General Title: Diverting Young People Away From Court Summary: This performance audit revisits a topic we covered in our 2008 report, The Juvenile Justice System: Dealing with Young People Under the Young Offenders Act 1994. This audit was not a direct follow-up of our previous audit or the related cost benefit analysis. Instead, in this audit we assessed whether agencies effectively divert young people in contact with police away from court by providing the right services, in the right places, at the right times. We looked at how effectively agencies directed young people away from court and into services or programs that could help them with the issues that led to their offending. We focused on diversion before court (early diversion), in the years 2012 to 2016 inclusive. Details: Perth: Western Australia Auditor General, 2017. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Report 18: Accessed December 1, 2017 at: https://audit.wa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/report2017_18-JuvenileJustice.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: https://audit.wa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/report2017_18-JuvenileJustice.pdf Shelf Number: 148676 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisJuvenile Court Juvenile Diversion Juvenile Offenders |
Author: Bhati, Avinash Title: To Treat or Not To Treat: Evidence on the Prospects of Expanding Treatment to Drug-Involved Offenders Summary: Despite a growing consensus among scholars that substance abuse treatment is effective in reducing recidivism, strict eligibility rules have limited the impact of current models of therapeutic jurisprudence on public safety. This research effort was aimed at providing policy makers some guidance on whether expanding this model to more drug-involved offenders is cost-beneficial. We find that roughly 1.5 million arrestees who are probably guilty (the population most likely to participate in court monitored substance abuse treatment) are currently at risk of drug dependence or abuse and that several million crimes could be averted if current eligibility limitations were suspended and all at-risk arrestees were treated. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2008. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 7, 2017 at: https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/31621/411645-To-Treat-or-Not-to-Treat.PDF Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/31621/411645-To-Treat-or-Not-to-Treat.PDF Shelf Number: 110504 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse and Addiction Drug Abuse Treatment Drug Offenders Substance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Mackin, Juliette R. Title: St. Mary's County Juvenile Drug Court Outcome and Cost Evaluation Summary: St. Mary's County Juvenile Drug Court (JDC) was formed in 2003 in response to the increase in youth abuse of alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine and juvenile arrests involving drug charges. The program admitted its first participant in February 2004 and since that time has served over 100 participants. The JDC program has four phases that can be completed by participants in a period as short as 12 months. For the 80 drug court participants included in this study who had since exited the program, either successfully or unsuccessfully, the average number of days in the program was 341 (approximately 11 months). Graduates spent an average of 358 days in the program (almost 12 months), whereas non-graduates spent an average of 310 days in the program (approximately 10 months). Throughout the program, participants attend drug court hearings evaluating their progress, supervision meetings with a case manager, and group and individual counseling sessions. Their family members are also included in the program and offered services as needed. The program requires that the youth submit to drug testing, attend school or another educational or occupational activity, and complete a community project. The JDC uses incentives and sanctions to encourage positive behaviors. Youth must have been abstinent for a minimum of 120 consecutive days and complete all program requirements, including restitution, to graduate; at which time the youth is eligible to expunge the case from his/her court records. Three key policy questions of interest to program practitioners, researchers, and policymakers about drug courts were addressed in this study. 1. Does the JDC Reduce Substance Abuse Among Program Participants? YES: JDC participants showed reductions in drug use following entrance into the program 2. Does the JDC Program Reduce Recidivism in the Juvenile Justice System? YES: JDC participants had a decreased re-arrest rate from 75% at pre-JDC to 52% postJDC admission 2. Does the JDC Program Reduce Recidivism in the Juvenile Justice System? YES: JDC participants had a decreased re-arrest rate from 75% at pre-JDC to 52% postJDC admission 3. Does the JDC Result in Savings of Taxpayer Dollars? YES: Outcome costs for JDC participants showed substantive savings, when factored against the comparison group. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2010. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed arch 20, 2018 at: https://ndcrc.org/resource/st-marys-county-juvenile-drug-court-outcome-and-cost-evaluation/ Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: https://ndcrc.org/resource/st-marys-county-juvenile-drug-court-outcome-and-cost-evaluation/ Shelf Number: 118419 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug CourtDrug OffendersDrug Treatment CourtsJuvenile Drug CourtProblem-Solving Courts |
Author: Heerde, Jessica A. Title: Prevent crime and save money: Return-on-investment models in Australia Summary: Finding effective ways to prevent crime is important. This project was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of combining data from a 12-year Australian longitudinal study (N=2,885) with prevention strategy investment data to estimate potential returns, including a reduction in intimate partner violence and prison entry. The project investigated the return on investment achievable in Victoria with a $150 million investment in a mix of six evidence based prevention strategies. The study estimated that the 10-year lag effect of investing an extra $150 million was a five percent reduction in incarceration and a four percent reduction in cases of intimate partner violence involving physical force. The net return from the $150 million investment in prevention was conservatively estimated at $191 million. It appears feasible and cost-effective to prevent intimate partner violence, while also reducing incarceration rates. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2018. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 545: https://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi545 Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: https://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi545 Shelf Number: 150068 Keywords: AdolescentsAnti-social BehaviorCost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CrimeCrime PreventionEvidence-Based PoliciesIntimate-Partner Violence |
Author: Willis, Matthew Title: Justice reinvestment in Australia: A review of the literature Summary: Justice reinvestment (JR) is an emerging field in the Australian criminal justice landscape. It is a data-driven approach to reducing criminal justice system expenditure and improving criminal justice system outcomes through reductions in imprisonment and offending. JR is a comprehensive strategy that employs targeted, evidence-based interventions to achieve cost savings which can be reinvested into delivering further improvements in social and criminal justice outcomes. However, there is no single definition of JR, and the effective development and implementation of JR strategies involve an evidence-based understanding of the local contexts, circumstances and needs that impact on involvement in the criminal justice system. JR has gained a great deal of support in Australia, with a number of JR strategies in operation or under development. As it has emerged in Australia, JR has taken on a wider meaning than has been applied in the US. While the focus of JR in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) has been about reducing the costs of incarceration, in Australia a broader application of JR is being developed, with states and territories also examining how to reduce crime and strengthen communities. In Australia, JR is being described as a way of addressing key justice problems including the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the justice system. As well as there being no single definition of JR, there have been a range of different approaches to its development and implementation. The criminal justice outcomes sought through JR can be achieved through approaches that include: - changes to policy and legislation that would otherwise tend to increase the likelihood of people being imprisoned; - improved treatment programs and models of supervision for individuals at the most risk of offending; - investing in neighbourhoods that house a disproportionately high number of offenders; - development of interventions based on locally identified needs and sound evidence; - improving drug addiction and mental health outcomes; and - engagement of interested and motivated supporters, including those providing financial and in-kind contributions for developing and implementing JR approaches. range of different financial approaches can be taken to facilitate JR strategies. Some models involve realizing savings from criminal justice interventions which are then reinvested to build and maintain those outcomes. Other approaches involve upfront investment from other sources, so that savings can be realized that are then used to finance a return on the initial investment. Under these approaches initial investment is procured through non-government sources like private companies or charitable institutions. Repayment of this initial investment by the government is linked to further investment, encouraging the use of strategies to achieve tangible benefits, such as demonstrated reductions in reoffending and prison population growth. JR has also contributed to the development of innovative approaches to financing; for example, social impact investment through mechanisms such as social impact bonds or Payment by Results arrangements. As a data-driven and evidence-based approach, JR relies on rigorous evaluation and monitoring of interventions and their outcomes. JR strategies must be underpinned by a framework of robust evaluation so that the impacts of interventions and resulting cost savings can be demonstrated and the results used to generate further savings and positive outcomes. In the US, JR has grown at a rapid rate since it was first conceived in the early 2000s, driven by the need to address the high incarceration and remand costs of the US criminal justice system. This has now grown into a large-scale body of funding, supported by the US Government as well as by large not-for-profit organisations. More than half of all US states now have JR programs in place, with many of these implemented in accordance with the frameworks established by the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, backed by the Bureau of Justice Administration. Reviews by key stakeholder organizations in the US give strong indications of JR having been successful in achieving actual or projected cost savings in several states (see Bureau of Justice Administration nd a; Council of State Governments Justice Center 2011b). Independent analysis has highlighted some issues with attribution of these savings to JR initiatives, but indicators of success remain and appear likely to continue to build over time. JR strategies adopted in the US have focused largely on reforms to criminal justice system practices and processes, backed by legislative change. Key areas for reform have included: - increased use of risk and needs assessment to more effectively match offenders with programs and services-particularly cognitive-behavioural and substance use treatment programs; - increasing the range of sentencing options available to courts; - improving the quality, extent and nature of supervision for offenders on probation and parole; and - changing responses to breached probation and parole conditions-for example, providing more non-custodial options and reducing the length of prison terms that can be imposed for breaches. The US adoption of JR has led to the creation of models, including financial models, to guide the stages of development and implementation. Development and implementation models have emphasised a number of crucial steps, including: - establishment of governance structures; - analysis and mapping; - development of options for cost savings through improved criminal justice and social outcomes; - quantification and reinvestment of savings; and - outcome and impact evaluations. JR has been positively received in Australia. The Commonwealth, as well as most if not all of the states and territories, have taken steps to explore the potential of JR strategies. In many cases these strategies have focused on the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the justice system, as well as changes to the youth justice system. In those jurisdictions that have generated greater progress in JR implementation, this has been achieved through the collaborative efforts of government, service providers, community representatives and academics. At the time of writing, separate community-led JR projects were well underway in the western New South Wales towns of Bourke and Cowra. The ACT had also taken substantial steps towards developing a JR strategy, including financial commitment through the Territory budget. JR is an emerging concept in Australia, and there remains considerable scope for the establishment of JR models and approaches that are adapted to Australian circumstances. In contrast to US models that have focused strongly on reforms within the criminal justice system, Australian approaches appear likely to include system reforms as well as a strong focus on localised social changes. As Australian iterations of JR emerge, they may well differ in some substantial ways from US models. While they are likely to retain the key principles of being data-driven, focused on cost savings and improved criminal justice outcomes, it also appears that the Australian application of JR aims for improved social outcomes. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2018. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Reports no. 9: Accessed May 14, 2018 at: https://aic.gov.au/publications/rr/rr09 Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: https://aic.gov.au/publications/rr/rr09 Shelf Number: 150171 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CorrectionsCosts of Criminal JusticeCriminal Justice ExpendituresEvidence-Based PracticesJustice Reinvestment |
Author: Laliberte, D. Title: Evaluation of the Alternative Suspension Program Summary: The Alternative Suspension (AS) program, which aims to reduce criminal activity by increasing youth attachment to school, was evaluated. The evaluation sites were in Chilliwack (British Columbia), North/West Edmonton (Alberta), and Moncton (New Brunswick). The target group consisted of students 12 to 17 years old, who were experiencing difficulties in their academic and social life, and had been suspended or at risk of being suspended. A pre-post design with a nonequivalent control group was used. The evaluators collected data and also used school data and data collected by the implementation agency. Youth who were more likely to experience better behavioural outcomes had been referred to AS for substance use (29 times more likely), criminal behaviour (14 times more), or physical or verbal violence (12 times more). At the end of the school year, 75.2% of completers and 56.3% of the control group had at least one positive outcome. Overall 45.0% of AS completers successfully finished all their courses; 44.1% of these youth, and 28.8% of the control group "met or exceeded school academic expectations". Overall, 59.0% of program completers and 38.1% of the control group improved their school behaviour. There was a decrease in disciplinary actions for 61.5% of completers and 39.6% of the control group. Around 3.8% of program completers and 14.3% of the control group had dropped out of school at the end of the school year. The average cost per completer was $1,340 in Moncton, $2,107 in Edmonton, and $1,693 in Chilliwack. Net average costs per positive outcome varied from $8,852 to $10,818, and marginal costs from $5,002 to $7,238. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2017. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report: 2017-R008: Accessed May 18, 2018 at: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2017-r008/2017-r008-en.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Canada URL: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2017-r008/2017-r008-en.pdf Shelf Number: 150258 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisSchool DisciplineSchool Suspensions |
Author: Council of Economic Advisors Title: Returns on Investments in Recidivism-reducing Programs Summary: Crime imposes a significant burden on Americans' well-being and tax-financed resources. These costs are amplified by a cycle of crime that results in re-arrest rates for released American prisoners in excess of 50 percent. Rigorous and evidence-based prison reforms are proposed to break the crime cycle, thereby reducing future crime and lowering incarceration expenditures by facilitating more successful re-entry to the workforce upon prison release. In this policy brief, CEA reviews the evidence on the underlying factors that determine the value of such prison programs and provides estimates on their rates of return. There are numerous programs that have been tried in one form or another over many decades. We do not aim to cover the entire scope of prison reform programs but focus instead on three main categories: programs that address mental health, substance abuse, or education and that are delivered inside correctional facilities. 2 We find that there is great variation in the effectiveness across programs such that reallocation of budgets from poorly to well performing programs may both lower spending and improve results. In addition, CEA finds evidence that certain individual programs can reduce crime as well as reduce spending by lowering long-run incarceration costs. Programs that save at least one dollar in crime and incarceration costs for every dollar spent are deemed cost effective. More specifically, with a focus on rigorous studies of the programs that have been previously implemented, CEA finds that, on average, programs that address the prisoner's mental health or substance abuse problems may reduce the cost of crime by about $0.92 to $3.31 per taxpayer dollar spent on prison reform and long-run incarceration costs by $0.55 to $1.96, for a total return of $1.47 to $5.27 per taxpayer dollar. Despite these positive returns, there are many programs-such as those in which the primary focus is education-for which the evidence base is inconsistent and rates of return more uncertain. Given this uncertainty, CEA estimates by how much rates of recidivism would have to be reduced in order for the programs to break even given their costs. We calculate that educational programming needs only to achieve a modest impact on recidivism rates (about a 2 percent reduction) in order to be cost effective. Overall, increased investment in better evidence is needed to guide future investments into programs to reduce recidivism. Many programs, even if they are found to be cost effective may have small sample sizes or unique characteristics that may be difficult to replicate or scale up, and some studies with high-quality research designs are too dated to provide needed insight. Carefully designed, broad-based national programs that target a wide variety of offenders in conjunction with carefully designed empirical evaluations would improve the ability of policymakers to allocate criminal justice funds to achieve the greatest possible social benefits. Details: Washington, DC: The Council, 2018. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 23, 2018 at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Returns-on-Investments-in-Recidivism-Reducing-Programs.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Returns-on-Investments-in-Recidivism-Reducing-Programs.pdf Shelf Number: 150338 Keywords: Correctional EducationCost-Benefit AnalysisEvidence-Based PracticesJustice ReinvestmentOffender RehabilitationRecidivism |
Author: Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council Title: A Cost-Benefit Tool for Illinois Criminal Justice Policymakers Summary: In recent years, criminal justice research, including rigorous evaluation of existing programs and policies, has established that recidivism can be reduced through targeted interventions that address the drivers of a person's criminal behavior. These drivers are identified through risk and needs assessment and can be changed with proper programming and services. Programs that reduce the risk that individuals released from prison will commit additional crimes create measureable outcomes in terms of less victimization, lower government costs, and other economic benefits. The critical question for policymakers is: Do the benefits of a program outweigh the costs? Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) answers that question by quantifying and weighing both costs and benefits to determine programs that will produce a sufficient return to warrant the investment of tax dollars. For this report, the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council (SPAC) used the Illinois Results First cost-benefit model which includes a database of 52 programs in the criminal justice sector that have successfully reduced recidivism over time in a variety of states. SPAC chose nine Illinois programs that are consistent with the programs in the database and for which cost data was available. The model incorporates Illinois-specific system costs incurred by state and local governments, crime trend and recidivism data, and victimization costs established by national research, including the costs to victims of medical expenses, property damage and losses, and lost wages. SPAC's model compares the money spent on programs with the social value of the outcomes produced by that spending to produce a "Consumer Reports" style guide that allows policymakers to do an apples-to-apples comparison of these nine programs. In sum, Illinois can get a better return on investment for taxpayers' dollars by focusing resources on programs with the most benefits and focusing cuts on those with the least benefits. The outcome measure used in the model is a reduction in recidivism. This report is intended to be solely descriptive of the expected outcomes of investing in evidence-based programs that are implemented with fidelity to the evaluated programs and are subject to evaluation. SPAC does not make recommendations, oppose, or support specific policy proposals. SPAC is a statutorily created, independent commission of criminal justice stakeholders that reports to all three branches of government. SPAC is mandated to provide system-wide fiscal impact analysis and provide research and analysis to support implementation of evidence-based practices. Cost-benefit analysis is one tool SPAC is using to weigh alternatives and potential outcomes as measured by lower recidivism rates. This is not a recommendation for specific programs but an informative report to facilitate planning and budgeting. Details: Springfield: SPAC, 2016. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 14, 2018 at: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/spac/pdf/Illinois_Results_First_Consumer_Reports_072016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/spac/pdf/Illinois_Results_First_Consumer_Reports_072016.pdf Shelf Number: 150532 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeCriminal Justice PolicyEvidence-Based PracticesRehabilitation Programs |
Author: Heerde, Jessica A. Title: Prevent crime and save money: Return-on-investment models in Australia: Full report Summary: Adolescent antisocial behaviour, such as violence, is both a serious and costly issue in Australia and known to peak during adolescence. Depending on how adolescent antisocial behaviour is defined and measured rates of this behaviour vary, however in Australia are generally between 5 and 20%. The cost of crime in Australia is estimated to be $47.6 billion per year with rates of crime highest in the age 15-24 group. Adolescent antisocial behaviour has important implications for feelings of safety within the community and community members' enjoyment of their local environments. Thus, finding effective ways to reduce the developmental pathways to youth antisocial behaviour is important. An area of increasing importance is demonstration of the costs and benefits of effective approaches to reducing adolescent antisocial behaviour (so-called returnon-investment analyses). This report presents new analyses from the International Youth Development Study (IYDS), an ongoing longitudinal study of antisocial behaviour in Victorian young people which began in 2002, designed to demonstrate the feasibility of combining Australian longitudinal cohort data with prevention strategy investment data to reduce crime versus expenditure on prisons in Australia. The project investigates rates and predictors of antisocial behaviour and violence from the early waves of the IYDS (age 11 years) to young adulthood (age 25 years) to estimate the return-on-investment in Victoria achievable with a $150 million investment in a mix of 6 evidence-based prevention strategies. The aims of the current project were to: 1. Report population rates in the Victorian context of different forms of antisocial outcomes at different points in the life-course; 2. Estimate effect sizes for modifiable risk factors; and 3. Estimate the return-on-investment in Victoria a $150 million investment would have in a mix of 6 evidence-based strategies. To investigate these aims data from 2,884 IYDS participants was used to estimate the reduction in incarceration and intimate partner violence achievable in the State of Victoria by investing $150 million in a mix of evidence-based prevention strategies. Baseline data were obtained in the IYDS at average age 15 from a sample recruited in 2002 to be state-representative of students in Victoria. Follow-up data were obtained at average age 25 in 2014/15. Evidence-based prevention strategies included: Nurse Family Partnerships, Triple P Universal and Triple P Level 4 groups, Secondary School Age Alcohol Supply Reduction, Tutoring by Peers and Screening and Brief Intervention for young adult alcohol problems. Based on the IYDS in 2014/15, findings showed, for those of average age 25 (range 21 to 29) the annual incarceration rate (any police or court apprehension) was estimated at 3.5% (1.0% for 1-day or more) and involvement in intimate partner violence involving physical force was 8.5% (causing physical injury was 3.0%). Multivariate regression analyses were used to identify the effect of age 15 risk factors (socioeconomic disadvantage, family problems, child behaviour problems, substance [including alcohol] use and school problems) and age 21 alcohol problems on age 25 incarcerations and intimate partner violence involving physical assault. Analyses revealed the 10-year lag effect of having invested an extra $150 million would have been a reduction in 2015 of 1,624 cases of incarceration (5% reduction) and 3,034 cases of intimate partner violence involving physical force (10% reduction). In addition to these estimated 1-year effects, benefits would also have been observed in each of the prior nine years and in subsequent years. The prevention strategy investment mix investigated in this report was: Nurse Family Partnership for low income ($35 M), Triple P Universal ($34 M), Triple P Level 4 groups ($51 M), Secondary School Age Alcohol Supply Reduction (SAASR; $14 M), Tutoring by Peers ($9 M) and Screening and Brief Intervention for young adult alcohol problems ($7 M). The net return from the $150 million prevention strategy investment was conservatively estimated at $191 million. Project findings demonstrate several modifiable factors for antisocial behaviour that could be targeted in early intervention and prevention programs to reduce the developmental pathways that lead to youth perpetration of intimate partner violence and incarceration. The results of the current study demonstrate the importance of considering childhood and adolescent family and school-based problems/risk factors, as well as youth substance (including alcohol) use and previous engagement in antisocial behaviour. The present analysis reveals there is sound data to perform return-on-prevention investment analyses in Victoria suggesting it is feasible and cost-effective to prevent problems such as intimate partner violence, while also reducing incarceration rates. Together, project findings can be used to inform policy in Australia about financially viable and effective programs to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour. This project will contribute to understanding that imprisonment and family violence are preventable and that there are significant economic benefits in implementing evidence-based prevention and early intervention approaches. Details: Sydney: Criminology Research Advisory Council, 2018. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed July 5, 2018 at: http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1718/18-1415-FinalReport.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1718/18-1415-FinalReport.pdf Shelf Number: 150764 Keywords: AdolescentsAnti-Social BehaviorCost-Benefit Analysis Costs of Crime Crime Prevention Evidence-Based Policies Intimate-Partner Violence |