Steve Aos, Associate Director

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Benefit-Cost Analysis of Prevention Early
Intervention Programs Lund, Sweden September
12-14, 2005
Steve Aos, Associate Director Washington State
Institute for Public Policy Phone (360)
586-2768 E-mail saos_at_wsipp.wa.gov Institute
Publications www.wsipp.wa.gov
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Washington State
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Washington State Institute For Public Policy
Created in 1983 by the Washington legislature
Mission carry out non-partisan research on
projects assigned by the legislature or the
Institutes Board of Directors
City of Olympia
State Capitol
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Washington State
United States
Sweden
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Overview of the Day

• General Findings on the Benefits and Costs of
  Prevention and Intervention Programs for Youth
• Research Methods Used to Evaluate the Outcomes of
  Washington States Juvenile Justice Programs
• Assessment Washingtons Juvenile Court
  Assessment, its Validity and Use.
• Effectiveness Results Washington State
  Research-Based Evaluation Results
• Economic Research Methods to Evaluate the
  Benefits and Costs

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Institute Publications
http//www.wsipp.wa.gov
Benefits and Costs of Prevention and Early
Intervention Programs for Youth (September 2004)
Outcome Evaluation of Washington State's
Research-Based Programs for Juvenile Offenders
(January 2004)
The Comparative Costs And Benefits of Programs
To Reduce Crime (May 2001)
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Motivation Why Study Benefits and Costs?
Crime Rates Taxpayer Costs Washington State
1980 to 2003
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Research Questions Methods

• Washington legislative question to WSIPP
• Are there research-based programs/policies
  with a real world ability to

Reduce crime,

• We reviewed existing rigorous program evaluations
  and computed effects (meta-analytically)

• We then translated the meta-analyzed outcomes
  into long-run monetary benefits costs ROI
  calculations

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Does Prevention Pay?Summary of Our Findings

• Good News Credible evidence indicates that some
  well-implemented programs achieve significantly
  more benefits than costsbut
• Bad News Credible evidence indicates that some
  programs do not pay offand

• Unknown Many (most) existing programs lack a
  rigorous outcome evaluation.

• A Marketplace for evidence-based programs is
  developing in the USA.

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Full Listing Can Be Download at www.wa.gov/wsipp
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Over 30 well-researched studies, mostly of
programs for 3 4 year olds from low income
families. Key findings
improved education outcomes, increased high
school graduation higher test scores lower
special education lower grade repetition
reduced crime, reduced child abuse
neglect. Evidence of decay in early test score
outcomes, but still statistically significant by
high school graduation.
Selected Findings
Early Childhood Education 17,202 7,301 9,901
A home visitation program, with active nationwide
dissemination. NFP is delivered by nurses and is
for low income, soon-to-be first time mothers.
Evidence of reduced crime for mothers
and children, reduced child abuse
neglect, improved education outcomes.
Website www.nursefamilypartnership.org/
Nurse Family Partnership 26,298 9,118 17,180
Functional Family Therapy 16,455 2,140 14,315
Aggression Repl. Trng. 9,564 759 8,805
Life Skills Training 746 29 717
Two programs for juvenile offenders and their
families, conducted by trained therapists. FFT
and ART have been implemented statewide in
Washington States juvenile courts. Evidence
of reduced crime when the model is followed.
Websites www.fftinc.com/ and
www.aggressionreplacementtraining.org
Seattle Soc. Dev. Project 14,246 4,590 9,837
Guiding Good Choices 7,605 687 6,918
Multi-D Treat. Foster Care 26,748 2,459
24,290
A three-year program for middle school youth
designed to prevent tobacco, alcohol, and
marijuana use. Delivered by classroom
teachers. Key findings Delayed initiation of
tobacco, alcohol, illicit
drugs. Website www.lifeskillstraining.com/
Intensive Juv. Supervision 0 1,482
-1,482
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A multi-year grade school and middle school
training program for parents (family management
training) and teachers (classroom management,
interactive teaching) for children with low
socioeconomic status. Evidence of reduced
crime, increased high school graduation,
reduced grade repetition Website
http//depts.washington.edu/sdrg/
A multimedia training program (parenting skills,
peer pressure refusal skills for students)
implemented with families of middle school
children. Evidence of reduced crime,
reduced alcohol initiation Website
www.channing-bete.com/positiveyouth/pages/FTC/FTC-
GGC.html
Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care is an
alternative to group facilities for youth with
chronic severe criminal behavior. Delivered by
trained families, the goal is to return the youth
to the family the primary family also receives
therapy. Evidence of reduced crime
Website www.oslc.org/
HF
We meta-analyzed 19 studies of intensive
supervision programs for juvenile offenders. No
statistically significant effect on recidivism
rates.
Mentoring program. Evidence increased test
scores, delayed alcohol and drug initiation.
Website www.bbbsa.org
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Making a DifferenceImplementing Evidence-Based
Programs
2. Unevaluated programs
1. Effective evidence-based programs
3. Ineffective E-B programs
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Five Policy Implications for Purchasers of
Prevention Early Intervention

• Invest in research-proven blue chip programs.
  Put most of a states prevention portfolio into
  these proven programs.
• Avoid spending money on programs where there is
  little evidence of program effectiveness.
• Evaluate currently-funded programs to determine
  if benefits exceed costs.
• Keep abreast of the latest research from around
  the world. Specialized knowledge is required.
• Pay attention to program fidelity (quality
  control).

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Overview of the Day

• General Findings on the Benefits and Costs of
  Prevention and Intervention Programs for Youth.
• Research Methods Used to Evaluate the Outcomes of
  Washington States Juvenile Justice Programs.
• Assessment Washingtons Juvenile Court
  Assessment, its Validity and Use.
• Results Washington State Research-Based
  Evaluation Results
• Economic Methods to Evaluate the Benefits and
  Costs

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Benefit-Cost Analysis of Prevention Early
Intervention Programs Lund, Sweden September
12-14, 2005
Steve Aos, Associate Director Washington State
Institute for Public Policy Phone (360)
586-2768 E-mail saos_at_wsipp.wa.gov Institute
Publications www.wsipp.wa.gov