NCJ Number
68017
Date Published
1975
Length
12 pages
Annotation
RESULT ARE REPORTED FROM A COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY COMMUNITY RELEASE PROJECT (CALIF.) COMPARED TO JUVENILE DETENTION.
Abstract
THE COMUNITY RELEASE PROJECT (CRP) WAS BEGUN IN 1974 AS A 2-YEAR PILOT PROJECT DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF JUVENILES DETAINED BY PROVIDING INTENSIVE SUPERVISION IN THE COMMUNITY PENDING APPEARANCE BEFORE THE JUVENILE COURT. CASES INVOLVING SERIOUS OFFENSES OR WHERE THE PARENTS OR GUARDIANS DO NOT WANT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE JUVENILE ARE NOT ELIGIBLE. AN EVALUATION IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE IF CRP IS AS EFFECTIVE AS DETENTION IN PREVENTING FURTHER OFFENSES BEFORE THE COURT HEARING. ASSUMING FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY THAT CRP IS EQUALLY EFFECTIVE AS DETENTION IN REDUCING RECIDIVISM, CRP COSTS CAN BE COMPARED TO THE COSTS OF DETENTION IN A COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS. RESULTS SHOW THAT CRP WILL SAVE THE COUNTY BETWEEN $5.24 AND $11.47 PER MINOR PER DAY. USING THE CURRENT CRP SCREENING STATISTICS AND PROJECTIONS THAT 540 CLIENTS WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR CRP IN 1974 AND 1975, THE COST SAVINGS TO THE COUNTY COULD RANGE BETWEEN $29,711 AND $65,035 PER YEAR. BASED ON THESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS, THE COUNTY SHOULD CONTINUE THE PROGRAM EVEN AFTER FEDERAL AND STATE SUPPORT HAS TERMINATED OR UNTIL THE COST OF DETENTION IS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED OR ANOTHER MORE COST-EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO DETENTION IS AVAILABLE. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED.