What Works to Reduce Recidivism by Domestic Violence Offenders?

The 2012 Legislature directed the Institute, in collaboration with the Washington State Gender and Justice Commission and experts on domestic violence, to update its analysis of the literature on domestic violence (DV) treatment. We were also directed to 1) report on other treatments and programs for DV offenders and the general offender population; 2) survey other states to study how misdemeanor and felony domestic violence cases are handled; and 3) report recidivism rates for DV offenders in Washington. This first report summarizes our findings regarding DV treatment and other programs and treatments.

Washington's Involuntary Treatment Act: Use of Non-Emergent Petitions and Less Restrictive Alternatives to Treatment

Washington State’s Involuntary Treatment Act establishes a process under which individuals may be committed by the courts for mental health evaluation and treatment. An involuntary treatment detention may be initiated if an individual is determined by a designated official to be gravely disabled or poses a danger to self or others as a result of a mental illness.

The 2015 Washington State Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) to examine two aspects of Washington State's involuntary commitment process: the use of non-emergent petitions for initial detention and less restrictive alternative orders for outpatient treatment. Our findings are based on a review of available data and an online survey of legal and treatment professionals.

Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration Intensive Parole: Program Evaluation Design

The 1997 Washington State Legislature provided intensive parole funding for up to 25 percent of the highest-risk youth placed in the custody of the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration (JRA). The legislation directed that intensive parole be implemented by January 1, 1999, and include: 1) a case management system, 2) transition services (multi-agency), and 3) plans for information management and program evaluation. The JRA contracted with the Institute to evaluate the implementation of intensive parole, determine whether the program reduces recidivism, and analyze its costs and benefits to Washington State taxpayers.

Watching the Bottom Line: Cost-Effective Interventions for Reducing Crime in Washington

This report highlights the findings of the Institute’s economic analysis of programs that try to reduce criminal behavior. The Institute found that there are some interventions, if well implemented, that can lower crime rates and lower total costs. Some economically attractive programs are designed to reduce the odds that young children will ever begin committing crimes, and some are designed for juvenile offenders already in the criminal justice system.

Juvenile Sex Offenders: A Follow-Up Study of Reoffense Behavior

Presented in this report are the results of a follow-up study of 197 male juvenile sex offenders who participated in offense-specific treatment at any of ten project sites in 1984, and who were subjects in a previous study of short-term treatment outcomes. Extensive case-level data were collected on each offender during the previous study. These data provided a rich base of descriptive information on the characteristics of juvenile sex offenders, their offenses, their victims, their involvement in treatment, their prognosis, and their juvenile reoffense behavior during a short follow-up period.

Recidivism Findings for the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration's Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program: Final Report

The Washington State Legislature directed the Institute to evaluate the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration’s Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) pilot to determine if DBT reduces recidivism. DBT is a program for juvenile offenders who have mental health issues and reside in a state institution. The Institute conducted a preliminary study of the program in 2002, using a 12-month follow-up period, and found the program reduced felony recidivism. This report updates the 2002 study using a longer follow-up period to measure recidivism.

Benefits and Costs of Prevention and Early Intervention Programs for Youth

Updated September 17, 2004

Does prevention pay? Can an ounce of prevention avoid (at least) an ounce of cure? More specifically for public policy purposes, is there credible scientific evidence that for each dollar a legislature spends on “research-based” prevention or early intervention programs for youth, more than a dollar’s worth of benefits will be generated? If so, what are the policy options that offer taxpayers the best return on their dollar? These are among the ambitious questions the 2003 Washington State Legislature assigned the Washington State Institute for Public Policy. This report describes our findings and provides an overview of how we conducted the analysis.

The “summary report” link contains a summary of findings. Appendix A contains a full description of our results and methods, and Appendix B lists the references used in the study. We publish updates whenever significant new results become available.

Washington State Sexually Violent Predators: Profile of Special Commitment Center Residents

In 1990, Washington State enacted a civil commitment law for persons found to be sexually violent predators. As of September 1996, 38 persons are housed at the Special Commitment Center in Monroe, Washington; 21 have been committed under the Act, and the others are awaiting trial. This paper summarizes records from the Special Commitment Center regarding the residents' criminal history, offense pattern, treatment history, and mental health diagnosis.

Multisystemic Therapy Outcomes in an Evidence-Based Practice Pilot

In 2007, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services established the Thurston-Mason Children’s Mental Health Evidence-Based Practice Pilot Project (Pilot) to provide mental health services to children. The first evidence-based practice selected by the Pilot was Multisystemic Therapy (MST), an intensive family- and community-based treatment program for youth. Over a one-year follow-up period, the Institute examined criminal convictions of youth enrolled in the Pilot’s MST program. Compared to youth with similar criminal histories and demographic characteristics, MST youth were convicted of fewer crimes on average. Due to sample size, statistical significance was not attained in this evaluation of MST outcomes. The effect sizes observed, however, are within the expected range for MST according to other rigorous studies of that intervention and would likely return a net economic benefit to tax payers and crime victims.

Washington State Juvenile Court Funding:
Applying Research in a Public Policy Setting

During the last 15 years, the Washington State Legislature has taken a number of steps to develop an “evidence-based” juvenile justice system. The central concept has been to identify and implement strategies shown—through rigorous research—to reduce crime cost-effectively. In 2009, the Legislature turned its attention to the mechanism through which Washington’s 33 juvenile courts receive state dollars. The Institute was directed to report on the administration of the new funding mechanism. We also summarize key policy reforms over the past 15 years that have established an emphasis on providing evidence-based programs in Washington’s juvenile justice system.