What is the Price of Failure? A Comparative Analysis of Prevention and Delinquency M ary M agee Q uinn and Jeffrey Poirier, American Institutes for Research National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice (EDJJ)

Overview n The role of school-based prevention in meeting the needs of at-risk youth n The importance of ensuring at-risk youth are educated n The financial and social costs of not preventing juvenile/adult crime n The impact of the justice system on juvenile offenders and their families n The long-term benefits and savings of reduced delinquency

Why Prevention? n An 18 year old is five times more likely to be arrested for a property crime than a 35 year old n In 1997, year olds comprised 7% of the overall population but 1 out 5 arrests for violent offenses and 1 out of 3 property crime arrests n Overall, teenagers are responsible for % of all crime Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1999

Levels of Prevention Primary Secondary Tertiary

Primary Prevention n 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 n Focuses on avoiding the initial occurrence of a problem

Reading Programs n Youth in Correctional Facilities u Median age 15.5 years u 9th grade (placement) u 4th grade reading level (mean) u More than 1/3 read below 4th grade

Adult Literacy

Reading Programs n Prison-based literacy programs are significantly more effective than boot camps or shock incarceration n The more education prisoners receives, the less likely they are to be re-arrested or re-imprisoned

Literacy n Quality reading programs can reduce recidivism by 20%. n Probationers had significantly lower re-arrest rates (35% vs. 46%) n Recipients of GED had significantly lower re-arrest rates (24% vs. 46%) n Inmates with 2 years of college (10% vs. 60%)

Education Level

Levels of Prevention Primary Secondary Tertiary

Secondary Prevention n Focus on preventing repeated occurrences of problem behavior through more targeted interventions n Efforts provide additional support when universal preventative efforts are not sufficient

Secondary Prevention n 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

High/Scope Preschool Programs n Benefits u fewer acts of misconduct u higher grade point averages u higher rates of employment u lower rates of welfare dependence

High/Scope Preschool Programs n Costs u $39,278 per child u $964 increased need for funds for secondary education programs n Savings u reduced need for special education u reduced crime rate u $6,495 lifetime tax payments

Tertiary Prevention n Most intensive level of support and intervention n Attempts to reduce the impact of a condition or problem on the individual's ability to function in the least restrictive setting

Tertiary Prevention n 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 n Includes outside agency support

Home Visit Programs n Costs u $2700/year from third trimester through age 2 u $6000/year for day care and early childhood education n Benefits u 11 serious crimes prevented per million dollars spent Source: RAND, 1996

Parent Training n Costs u $500/year per family for instruction and supplies u $2500/year per family for program management n Benefits u 157 serious crimes prevented per million dollars spent Source: RAND, 1996

High School Graduation n Adult Inmates in State Facilities u 70% have not completed high school u 46% have had some high school u 16.4 % have had no high school at all Source: U.S. Department of Justice, 1996

Graduation Incentives n Costs u $3130/year for 4 years for each youth n Benefits u 258 serious crimes prevented per million dollars spent on incentives Source: RAND, 1996

Delinquent Programs n Costs u $10,000/year per youth (conservative estimate) n Benefits u 72 serious crimes prevented per million dollars spent

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

The Costs of Crime for Communities and Victims n Lost property and wages n Medical and psychological expenses n Decreased productivity n Pain and suffering n Decreased quality of life/societal well- being (e.g., fear of crime, changing lifestyle due to risk of victimization)

n Incarceration (prisons/correctional facilities) n Increased demand for criminal/civil justice services n 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

Who incurs these costs? n Crime victims n Government agencies n Taxpayers n Society

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

Expenditures for the Criminal and Civil Justice System n Total: $147 billion in 1999 (police protection, corrections, and judicial/legal activities) n 309% increase from n Local government funded half of these expenses (note: local government funded 44% of education costs in 1999) Source: U.S. Department of Justice, 1999

Expenditures for the Criminal and Civil Justice System n States contributed another 39% n Criminal and civil justice expenditures comprised 7.7% of all state and local expenditures Source: U.S. Department of Justice, 1999

Costs of Juvenile Crime n A life of crime costs society $1.5-$1.8 million n Cost of juvenile crime: u Victim costs: $62,000-$250,000 u Criminal justice: $21,000-$84,000 F Total: $83,000-$335,000 u For every 10 crimes committed, only one is caught u Chronic juvenile offenders are very likely to become involved in the adult system Source: Cohen, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 1998

Costs of Dropping Out n In 1991, annual cost of providing for youth who fail to complete high school and their families: $76 billion n Lost wage productivity: $300,000 Source: Joint Economic Committee, 1991

Cost of Effective Prevention and Intervention Source: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2001 ProgramNet 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

The Costs of Crime for Juvenile Offenders n Separation and isolation n In correctional settings: u Negative behaviors are often reinforced u Higher rates of sexual victimization and suicide u For youth with cognitive disabilities, it is difficult to un-learn the prison experience u Lack of special education services and an absence of skill-based programming

The Costs of Crime for Juvenile Offenders n For youth who are sent to adult facilities, there are higher rates of re-offending and the number of serious crimes committed n More youth today are being referred to correctional settings for behaviors that are mental health related n Competing missions within the juvenile justice system (protection v. rehabilitation) n The juvenile court is not familiar with the impact of mental health/cognitive disabilities on behaviors

The Cost of Ignoring Families n Family involvement (surrogates, extended family, etc.) and stability are critical to the success of prevention and corrections programs n The family will be a part of the youth’s life long after the professionals leave n 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

The Cost of Ignoring Families n Families are seen as the problem and not part of the solution, leading to increased reliance on foster care and costly, ineffective multiple placements n Families become distrustful of the systems that have failed their children often for many years n The rate of recidivism is impacted by the degree to which youthful offenders have a stable adult in their lives

Conclusion n 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 n Have a long-term vision when considering the costs of prevention programs n Consider the impact of incarceration on juvenile offenders and the role of families