NCJ Number
179442
Date Published
November 1999
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper provides a summary of key aspects of a larger study and complements ongoing research at the Australian Institute of Criminology on cost-benefit analysis and criminal justice.
Abstract
A study of the economic costs and benefits of in-prison sex-offender treatment programs for male child sex offenders estimated that a 14- percent reduction in recidivism following the program would yield an economic gain of nearly $40,000 per prisoner treated. Assessing the intangible costs of child sex abuse is difficult, but the study estimated the intangible costs of child sex abuse to be 10 times the dollar value of tangible costs. The study concluded that, although costs of treatment are high, the benefits achieved are also high. The magnitude of the problem of child sex abuse in general and offenses by recidivists in particular warrant future research to identify the relative incidence of different types of injuries, assess recidivism rates of programs and further develop the methodology in valuing the intangible costs of pain and suffering. Tables, references