NCJ Number
234137
Date Published
2011
Length
57 pages
Annotation
This report from the Australian Institute of Criminology examines the use of cost-benefit analysis and its application to crime prevention and criminal justice research.
Abstract
This report presents nine case studies that used cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to evaluate crime prevention strategies and criminal justice research primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom, and a few in Australia. The report provides a description of when and how cost-benefit analyzes of crime prevention programs have been used, and evaluates the merits of CBA. The use of cost-benefit analysis allows researchers to compare the advantages and disadvantages of undertaking a particular program or policy and to apply monetary values to those advantages and disadvantages, providing them with three advantages: it controls for differences in currencies and comparative monetary value; it controls for differences in time periods; and it presents the single monetary benefits that were provided for each unit of input invested in the program. This report is divided into two main sections. The first section presents an overview of CBA, discusses the difference between cost-effectiveness analysis and CBA, and discusses the steps required in conducting a successful CBA. The second section of the report presents an evaluation of CBA and is followed by nine case studies. Figure, tables, references, and appendix