NCJ Number
208733
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 39 Issue: 4 Dated: 2004 Pages: 69-98
Editor(s)
Nathaniel J. Pallone Ph.D.
Date Published
2004
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This exploratory study examined the costs and cost-saving benefits to the criminal justice system of day reporting centers.
Abstract
Community-based treatment programs for offenders attempt to lower the costs of crime to the criminal justice system and society overall by offering effective alternatives to incarceration or residential treatment. Day reporting centers are community-based offender programs, providing programming in a single location. This study used an outcome evaluation of day reporting centers (DRC's) to explore an approach to examining the cost-savings benefits of community-based programs for offenders. The study examined whether DRC's programs may be a viable community-based option for offenders. The two DRC's presented in this study were located in a Midwestern State and were designed to serve substance-abusing probationers considered high-risk for reoffending. As part of a larger project, this study used a retrospective quasi-experimental design to examine program process, client outcomes, and costs. The study had a 12-month follow-up period. The results suggest that DRC's may be able to provide a viable correctional treatment option for moderately high-risk offenders supervised in the community and result in cost-savings benefits. This study was an initial step in examining the viability of DRC's. Tables and references