Key Terms
Court-involved youth: Youth who are processed through the juvenile justice system but who are not ordered to a period of confinement in a residential or correctional facility. This includes populations of arrested youth, diverted youth, charged youth, adjudicated youth, and youth on probation or formal supervision.
Youth in state institutions: Youth who are confined in a residential or correctional facility when they participate in the program.
Youth post-release: Youth who are returning to the community following a period of confinement in a residential or correctional facility and who participate in the program after release to the community.
ALL |
META-ANALYSIS |
CITATIONS |
|
Benefit-Cost Summary Statistics Per Participant | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Benefits to: | ||||||
Taxpayers | ($289) | Benefits minus costs | ($3,056) | |||
Participants | $843 | Benefit to cost ratio | ($2.14) | |||
Others | ($1,829) | Chance the program will produce | ||||
Indirect | ($809) | benefits greater than the costs | 44% | |||
Total benefits | ($2,084) | |||||
Net program cost | ($972) | |||||
Benefits minus cost | ($3,056) | |||||
Meta-Analysis of Program Effects | ||||||||||||
Outcomes measured | Treatment age | No. of effect sizes | Treatment N | Effect sizes (ES) and standard errors (SE) used in the benefit-cost analysis | Unadjusted effect size (random effects model) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First time ES is estimated | Second time ES is estimated | |||||||||||
ES | SE | Age | ES | SE | Age | ES | p-value | |||||
Crime Involvement in the criminal justice system (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions, incarceration) measured through administrative records (e.g. court records, arrests) or self-report. |
18 | 1 | 369 | 0.018 | 0.113 | 19 | 0.018 | 0.113 | 27 | 0.018 | 0.870 | |
GED attainment^ Successful attainment of a General Educational Development (GED) credential. |
18 | 1 | 369 | 0.067 | 0.100 | 19 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 0.067 | 0.500 | |
High school graduation On-time completion of high school with a diploma (excluding GED attainment). |
18 | 1 | 369 | 0.180 | 0.100 | 18 | 0.180 | 0.100 | 18 | 0.180 | 0.072 | |
Employment^^ Any employment, including part-time work. |
18 | 1 | 369 | 0.170 | 0.120 | 20 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 0.170 | 0.156 | |
Earnings* Percent change in labor market earnings, typically weekly or monthly wages. |
18 | 1 | 369 | 0.110 | 0.109 | 20 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 21 | 0.110 | 0.313 |
Detailed Monetary Benefit Estimates Per Participant | ||||||
Affected outcome: | Resulting benefits:1 | Benefits accrue to: | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Taxpayers | Participants | Others2 | Indirect3 | Total |
||
Crime | Criminal justice system | ($647) | $0 | ($1,829) | ($323) | ($2,799) |
Earnings | Labor market earnings | $358 | $843 | $0 | $0 | $1,201 |
Program cost | Adjustment for deadweight cost of program | $0 | $0 | $0 | ($486) | ($486) |
Totals | ($289) | $843 | ($1,829) | ($809) | ($2,084) | |
Detailed Annual Cost Estimates Per Participant | ||||
Annual cost | Year dollars | Summary | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Program costs | $24,765 | 2003 | Present value of net program costs (in 2023 dollars) | ($972) |
Comparison costs | $24,136 | 2003 | Cost range (+ or -) | 20% |
Benefits Minus Costs |
Benefits by Perspective |
Taxpayer Benefits by Source of Value |
Benefits Minus Costs Over Time (Cumulative Discounted Dollars) |
The graph above illustrates the estimated cumulative net benefits per-participant for the first fifty years beyond the initial investment in the program. We present these cash flows in discounted dollars. If the dollars are negative (bars below $0 line), the cumulative benefits do not outweigh the cost of the program up to that point in time. The program breaks even when the dollars reach $0. At this point, the total benefits to participants, taxpayers, and others, are equal to the cost of the program. If the dollars are above $0, the benefits of the program exceed the initial investment. |
National Council on Crime and Delinquency. (2009). In search of evidence-based practice in juvenile corrections: An evaluation of Florida's Avon Park Youth Academy and STREET Smart Program. Madison, WI: National Council on Crime and Delinquency.