A Comparative Analysis of Prevention and Delinquency

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What is the Price of Failure? A Comparative Analysis of Prevention and Delinquency Mary Magee Quinn and Jeffrey Poirier, American Institutes for Research National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice (EDJJ)

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A Comparative Analysis of Prevention and Delinquency - Authors Mary Magee Quinn and Jeffrey Poirier, American Institutes for Research, National Center on Education, Disability,and Juvenile Justice (EDJJ)

Transcript of A Comparative Analysis of Prevention and Delinquency

Page 1: A Comparative Analysis of Prevention and Delinquency

What is the Price of Failure?

A Comparative Analysis of Prevention and Delinquency

Mary Magee Quinn and Jeffrey Poirier, American Institutes for Research

National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice (EDJJ)

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Overview The role of school-based

prevention in meeting the needs of at-risk youth

The importance of ensuring at-risk youth are educated

The financial and social costs of not preventing juvenile/adult crime

The impact of the justice system on juvenile offenders and their families

The long-term benefits and savings of reduced delinquency

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Why Prevention? An 18 year old is five times more

likely to be arrested for a property crime than a 35 year old

In 1997, 15-19 year olds comprised 7% of the overall population but 1 out 5 arrests for violent offenses and 1 out of 3 property crime arrests

Overall, teenagers are responsible for 20-30% of all crime

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1999

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Levels of Prevention

Primary

Secondary

Tertiary

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Primary Prevention Strategies applied to intact

groups or populations, such as a school-wide discipline plan used to help all students in a school meet behavioral and academic expectations

Focuses on avoiding the initial occurrence of a problem

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Reading Programs Youth in Correctional

Facilities Median age 15.5 years 9th grade (placement) 4th grade reading level

(mean) More than 1/3 read below

4th grade

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Adult Literacy

Incarcerated Adults

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

GeneralPopulation

CompletelyIlliterate

FunctionallyIlliterate

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Reading Programs Prison-based literacy

programs are significantly more effective than boot camps or shock incarceration

The more education prisoners receives, the less likely they are to be re-arrested or re-imprisoned

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Literacy

Quality reading programs can reduce recidivism by 20%.

Probationers had significantly lower re-arrest rates (35% vs. 46%)

Recipients of GED had significantly lower re-arrest rates (24% vs. 46%)

Inmates with 2 years of college (10% vs. 60%)

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Education Level

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Recidivism Rates (1990-1991)

Findings from Texas study, 1994

Without degrees

All Degrees

AA

BA

MA

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Levels of Prevention

Primary

Secondary

Tertiary

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Secondary Prevention Focus on preventing

repeated occurrences of problem behavior through more targeted interventions

Efforts provide additional support when universal preventative efforts are not sufficient

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Secondary Prevention Example: students who

have more than one disciplinary referral in a given month for fighting may be provided with special instruction in conflict resolution or social skills

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High/Scope Preschool Programs Benefits

fewer acts of misconduct higher grade point

averages higher rates of employment lower rates of welfare

dependence

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High/Scope Preschool Programs Costs

$39,278 per child $964 increased need for funds

for secondary education programs

Savings reduced need for special

education reduced crime rate $6,495 lifetime tax payments

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Tertiary Prevention Most intensive level of

support and intervention Attempts to reduce the

impact of a condition or problem on the individual's ability to function in the least restrictive setting

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Tertiary Prevention Example: the needs of students

identified as having an emotional/behavioral disability are addressed through special education services and behavior intervention plans so that they may benefit from the educational program

Includes outside agency support

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Home Visit Programs Costs

$2700/year from third trimester through age 2

$6000/year for day care and early childhood education

Benefits 11 serious crimes prevented

per million dollars spentSource: RAND, 1996

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Parent Training

Costs $500/year per family for

instruction and supplies $2500/year per family for

program management Benefits

157 serious crimes prevented per million dollars spent

Source: RAND, 1996

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High School Graduation Adult Inmates in State

Facilities 70% have not completed

high school 46% have had some high

school 16.4 % have had no high

school at all

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, 1996

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Graduation Incentives Costs

$3130/year for 4 years for each youth

Benefits 258 serious crimes

prevented per million dollars spent on incentives

Source: RAND, 1996

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Delinquent Programs Costs

$10,000/year per youth (conservative estimate)

Benefits 72 serious crimes

prevented per million dollars spent

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11

157

258

72

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Comparison of Number of Prevented Serious Crimes per Million Dollars

Home VisitsParent TrainingH.S. Graduation IncentivesDelinquency Programs

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Students with Disabilities

The arrest rate among high school dropouts with disabilities was 56%, compared with 16% among graduates, and 10% among those who "aged out" of school.

Among dropouts with serious emotional disturbances, the arrest rate was 73% three to five years after secondary school

Source: SRI International, 1992

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The Costs of Crime for Communities and Victims

Lost property and wages Medical and psychological

expenses Decreased productivity Pain and suffering Decreased quality of

life/societal well-being (e.g., fear of crime, changing lifestyle due to risk of victimization)

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Incarceration (prisons/correctional facilities)

Increased demand for criminal/civil justice services

Opportunity costs: since greater percentage of government expenditures must be dedicated to crime-related costs, fewer resources are available for education/other government services

The Costs of Crime for Communities and Victims

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Who incurs these costs? Crime victims Government agencies Taxpayers Society

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Cost of Victimization 23% of all U.S. households victimized

Crime victims lost $17.6 billion in direct costs in 1992 (includes losses from property theft/damage, cash losses, medical expenses, and amount of pay lost because of injury/activities related to the crime)

Crimes included: attempts and completed offenses of rape, robbery, assault, personal and household theft, burglary, and motor vehicle theft

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, National Crime Victimization Survey, 1994

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Expenditures for the Criminal and Civil Justice System

Total: $147 billion in 1999 (police protection, corrections, and judicial/legal activities)

309% increase from 1982-1999 Local government funded half

of these expenses (note: local government funded 44% of education costs in 1999)Source: U.S. Department of Justice, 1999

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Expenditures for the Criminal and Civil Justice System

States contributed another 39%

Criminal and civil justice expenditures comprised 7.7% of all state and local expenditures

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, 1999

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Costs of Juvenile Crime

A life of crime costs society $1.5-$1.8 million

Cost of juvenile crime: Victim costs: $62,000-$250,000 Criminal justice: $21,000-$84,000

Total: $83,000-$335,000 For every 10 crimes committed,

only one is caught Chronic juvenile offenders are very

likely to become involved in the adult system

Source: Cohen, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 1998

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Costs of Dropping Out

In 1991, annual cost of providing for youth who fail to complete high school and their families: $76 billion

Lost wage productivity: $300,000

Source: Joint Economic Committee, 1991

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Cost of Effective Prevention and Intervention

Source: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2001Program Net Cost

per Participant

Taxpayer Savings

Taxpayer Savings and Victim Benefits

Benefit-to-Cost Ratio

Early Childhood Education for Disadvantaged Youth

$8,936 -$4,754 $6,972 $1.78

Quantum Opportunities Program

$18,964 -$8,855 $16,428 $1.87

Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care

$2,052 $21,836 $87,622 $43.70

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The Costs of Crime for Juvenile Offenders

Separation and isolation In correctional settings:

Negative behaviors are often reinforced

Higher rates of sexual victimization and suicide

For youth with cognitive disabilities, it is difficult to un-learn the prison experience

Lack of special education services and an absence of skill-based programming

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The Costs of Crime for Juvenile Offenders

For youth who are sent to adult facilities, there are higher rates of re-offending and the number of serious crimes committed

More youth today are being referred to correctional settings for behaviors that are mental health related

Competing missions within the juvenile justice system (protection v. rehabilitation)

The juvenile court is not familiar with the impact of mental health/cognitive disabilities on behaviors

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The Cost of Ignoring Families

Family involvement (surrogates, extended family, etc.) and stability are critical to the success of prevention and corrections programs

The family will be a part of the youth’s life long after the professionals leave

When parents do not have the skills/knowledge to advocate for their child’s learning/mental health needs, their children are more likely to drop out of school and become involved in the justice system

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The Cost of Ignoring Families

Families are seen as the problem and not part of the solution, leading to increased reliance on foster care and costly, ineffective multiple placements

Families become distrustful of the systems that have failed their children often for many years

The rate of recidivism is impacted by the degree to which youthful offenders have a stable adult in their lives

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Conclusion Prevention/intervention

programs for at-risk youth will not eliminate juvenile crime, but can reduce it and will bring net benefits to both society and the juvenile

Have a long-term vision when considering the costs of prevention programs

Consider the impact of incarceration on juvenile offenders and the role of families