To provide an answer, this project builds on the successful steps Washington State has taken in criminal justice, juvenile justice, education, child welfare, and several other significant areas of state government policymaking. The one million dollar project will involve joint funding between the MacArthur Foundation and the Washington State Legislature. It will run for two years and cost $500,000 per year; of this amount, $400,000 per year will be provided by MacArthur and $100,000 per year will be provided by Washington State.

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy, a research arm of the Washington State Legislature, will deliver to the legislature an updated and expanded return on investment analysis regarding what works in the following areas:

K—12 education Criminal justice Juvenile justice Child welfare Substance abuse

Mental health Public health Public assistance Employment Housing

In past years, representatives from other states have contacted us with an interest in duplicating Washington’s approach. This project incorporates a novel idea to take advantage of this market demand: a new software-based application will be developed to allow other states to tailor the Washington approach for their state.

Thus, the twin goals of the project are to:

• Provide a new economic analysis of a wide range of evidence-based program and policy options for state governments that provide citizens with better outcomes and a more efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and
• Make this innovative approach more accessible to other interested states.

Lead Researcher: Steve Aos, (360) 586-2740