NCJ Number
203703
Date Published
February 2003
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined the costs and benefits of halfway houses in Ohio compared with incarceration.
Abstract
Ohio was selected to participate in a 10-State initiative on reentry sponsored by The Urban Institute. The research is designed to examine the current reentry efforts and to assess the future prospects of re-entry. Although the reentry process in Ohio begins while the offender is still in prison, the reentry process continues in halfway houses across the State for those released through the Bureau of Community Sanctions. Studies of Ohio halfway house programs have found that time spent in a halfway house enhances public safety, minimizes the financial burden on taxpayers, and achieves long-term reintegration into the community for the majority of halfway house participants. Halfway houses in Ohio are community residential programs that provide supervision and treatment services for offenders released from State prisons, referred by Courts of Common Pleas, or sanctioned because of a violation of supervision conditions. Halfway houses provide such services as drug and alcohol treatment, electronic monitoring, job placement, education programs, and specialized programs for sex offenders and mentally ill offenders. In fiscal year 2002 the Bureau of Community Sanctions contracted for over 1,626 halfway house beds in 26 facilities to house felony offenders. At an average length of stay of 90 days, these 1,626 beds change occupants over 4 times in 1 year, saving 2,373,960 prison days per year. Under Ohio's current budget crisis, the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections' emphasis on re-entry and the proven record of Ohio's halfway houses, the release of targeted offender populations to serve their last months in a halfway house make good fiscal and programmatic sense. This report provides details on cost savings of halfway houses compared to incarceration. 11 notes