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December 10, 2007
“Does it Pay to Invest In Jail Re-Entry Programs for Jail Inmates”
“Does it Pay to Invest In Jail Re-Entry Programs for Jail Inmates,” John Roman and Aaron Chalfin, Urban Institute Re-Entry Roundtable. June 2006. http://www.urban.org/projects/reentry-roundtable/upload/roman_chalfin.pdf
Cost benefit analysis for “re-entry” program in jails focusing on low cost programs in the Hampden County Jail (MA), high cost programs in Montgomery County MD, and contracted programs in Chicago. The paper includes statistical information on the increasing costs of jails from 1983 to 2003 (an increase of 600%) and 3 times the number of cells during the same period. They find that even a modest re-entry program in jails yields considerable benefits. Non-contracted re-entry services might be expected to return between $4.40 to $9.00 in social benefits for each $1 invested. And, if over time, re-entry programs persist, greater benefits will accrue.
This and other new research can be found at http://www.realcostofprisons.org/papers.html
Posted by lois at December 10, 2007 10:54 AM