NCJ Number
79923
Date Published
1980
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes the operations of the Washington County Restitution Center (Oregon) between 1976 and 1980 and analyzes its costs and benefits compared with incarceration in the county jail.
Abstract
Established in 1976 in a commercial sector of Hillsboro, Oreg., the Restitution Center first served and housed eight offenders. By 1980, demand for the program necessitated a move to a large facility with a capacity of 27 persons. Residence in the center involves close, 24-hour supervision as well as intensive rehabilitation services, including counseling, education, financial planning, life skills training, and employment. An overview of the center's organization covers its supervising agencies, funding, staffing, and eligibility criteria. All residents must be male offenders over 18 years old who are Washington County residents. They must be willing to pay court fines or restitution to victims and able to work. Requirements of a graduated treatment plan that all residents must complete before release are outlined. Characteristics of the 47 clients served by the center in 1979 and the 44 residents of 1978 are described. In both years, most were nonminority and between age 21 and 30 years. Comparisons between the groups showed that the 1979 individuals had higher educational levels, higher unemployment rates, and were more likely to have prior records than the previous year's residents. A review of services provided to center clients includes comparisons with services offered to regular Corrections Department inmates. For example, regular inmates referred to the alcohol component during a reporting period received 9.8 hours of group counseling, while center clients received 50.9 hours. A cost-benefit analysis of the center emphasizes that a resident is able to support himself and his family, defray a portion of the residential expense by paying room and board, pay restitution, and perform community services. Indirect benefits are also discussed, including the center's practice of finding employment for residents prior to release. In a straight dollar for dollar comparison, the daily expenses of the program are slightly less than the county jail. Although a thorough assessment of the center's effectiveness cannot be accomplished until more clients have completed the program, cost and productivity data indicate that it is a sound investment. Tables and charts are provided.