Costs and Benefits of Community-Based Substance Abuse Treatment in the District of Columbia

• NCJ Number: 243333
• Author(s): P. Mitchell Downey; John Roman Ph.D.; Akiva Liberman Ph.D.
• Date Published: April 2012
• Length: 14 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2009-JAGR-1114
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA); Justice Grants Admin, Executive Office of the Mayor, District of Columbia
• Sale Source: The Urban Institute
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the costs and benefits of the District of Columbia's Community-Based Substance Abuse Treatment (CBSAT) program.

Abstract

This policy brief summarizes cost-benefit analyses employing an innovative statistical method that enables policymakers to assess the range of possible costs and benefits associated with specific evidence-based programs designed to prevent crime and recidivism. Findings show that there is a 55 percent chance that a CBSAT program serving 150 people would yield benefits that exceed its costs. The median benefit of CBSAT is $615 per person higher than its costs. This report describes the expected outcomes of the CBSAT program, reports the estimated costs of operating CBSAT in the District of Columbia, and estimates the benefits from those outcomes for DC residents and local and Federal agencies. These data are then combined to produce estimates of the overall cost-benefit of CBSAT in the District. Tables, figures, references and appendixes