COMPARATIVE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF MANPOWER SERVICE PROGRAMS FOR ILLINOIS OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 53104
• Author(s): G W KNOX; W A STACEY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 25 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: SUBMITTED FOR PRESENTATION AT THE SECOND NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE EVALUATION, NOVEMBER 1978

Annotation

PART OF A LARGER STUDY RECENTLY COMPLETED IN ILLINOIS, THE RESEARCH REPORTED SUMMARIZES THE COMPARATIVE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF 14 MANPOWER SERVICE PROGRAMS FOR ADULT EX-OFFENDERS.

Abstract

THE EVALUATION ENCOMPASSES 20 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, OF WHICH 14 WERE PROVIDING JOB PLACEMENTS TO ADULT OFFENDERS. AN ADMINISTRATIVE SURVEY OF THE PROGRAM DIRECTORS REVEALED LARGE VARIATION IN THE KINDS OF SERVICES OFFERED, WITH IMPORTANT ORGANIZATIONAL DIFFERENCES AS WELL. IN ORDER TO MAKE IMPACT COMPARISONS UNDER NONEXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS, A RESTROSPECTIVE PROCEDURE OF OBTAINING A SAMPLE FOR ESTABLISHING RELAPSE PARAMETERS WAS USED. THE SAMPLE WAS A COHORT EXPERIENCING SIMILAR CORRECTIONAL EVENTS, AND IT WAS MATCHED WITH THE SERVICED GROUP BY THE MOST IMPORTANT STATUS DIFFERENTIATOR--THE TYPE OF CRIMINAL CONVICTION CONTROLLING THE INCARCERATION SENTENCE. ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUND VARIABLES, NO SIGNIFICANT VARIATION WAS SHOWN BETWEEN THE SERVICED GROUP AND THE COHORT ONE. AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EX-OFFENDERS PROVIDED WITH MANPOWER SERVICES DURING FISCAL YEAR 1977 SHOWED THE MAJORITY TO HAVE A MINIMAL WORK HISTORY. IN IDENTIFYING PROGRAM BENEFIT VARIABLES, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AMOUNT PAID IN STATE AND FEDERAL TAXES BY CLIENTS PLACED IN EMPLOYMENT WOULD BE A PRECISE MEASURABLE BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAMS. THE OTHER BENEFIT VARIABLE USED WAS THAT OF AVERTED PER CAPITA CORRECTIONAL COSTS, JUSTIFIED BY THE INVERSE RELATIONSHIP FOUND BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT AND RECIDIVISM. ESTIMATED PLACEMENT ACTIVITY COST IS DEFINED AS THOSE PROGRAM EXPENSES ASSUMED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH SERVICES OF PROVIDING JOB PLACEMENTS FOR EX-OFFENDERS DURING FISCAL YEAR 1977. IN THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS MODEL USED, THE DERIVATION OF BENEFIT-COST RATIOS FOR EACH OF THE PLACEMENT PROGRAMS AND FOR ALL COMBINED INVOLVES SUMMING THE BENEFITS, DISCOUNTING, AND DIVIDING BY COSTS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE EFFECTS AT THE AGGREGATE LEVEL SUGGEST ALL OF THE PROGRAMS HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO BE COST-EFFECTIVE IN SERVICE IMPACT OVER THE SHORT TERM. DATA OBTAINED FROM THE STUDY ARE PROVIDED, AND SUGGESTIONS ARE OFFERED FOR IMPROVED EVALUATION RESEARCH IN COST-BENEFIT MEASURES OF MANPOWER SERVICES. REFERENCES ARE ALSO CITED. (RCB)