NCJ Number
148444
Date Published
1978
Length
74 pages
Annotation
This analysis compares the cost of using juvenile justice services (i.e., correction and detention) to that of using alternative social services in dealing with juvenile status offenders in three jurisdictions: New Castle County, Delaware; Pima County, Arizona; and Spokane County, Washington.
Abstract
For each jurisdiction, the study covered a 1-year preprogram period, which relied mainly on juvenile justice services, and a 1-year program period, which relied predominantly on deinstitutionalization and alternative social services. Financial and statistical data derived from financial records of relevant agencies, the Social Science Research Institute, local program evaluators, statisticians, and the relevant agencies; they included the cost of salaries and fringe benefits, materials and supplies, private contractors, facilities cost, and administrative cost. For all three jurisdictions, the results indicated that during the preprogram period juvenile justice services accounted for a vast majority of the total cost incurred for the status offenders. During the program period, the estimated juvenile justice costs declined significantly while the cost for social services increased. Most importantly, the average unit cost to each jurisdiction for serving status offenders declined considerably as a result of this shift to deinstitutionalization. Detailed statistical charts for each jurisdiction are appended.