NCJ Number
43391
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 41 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1977) Pages: 14-20
Date Published
1977
Length
7 pages
Annotation
EVALUATION OF A SUPPORTED WORK PROGRAM FOR HEROIN ADDICTS IN NEW YORK CITY FOUND THAT SUPPORTED WORK HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON ARREST RATES DURING THE FIRST 6 MONTHS, BUT THIS LEVELS OFF AFTER THE SECOND 6 MONTHS.
Abstract
THE PROGRAM EVALUATED WAS THE WILDCAT SERVICE CORPORATION, A PROJECT SET UP BY THE VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE USING DIVERTED WELFARE FUNDS, SERVICE CONTRACTS, AND GOVERNMENT GRANTS TO SUPPLY WORK-TRAINING PROGRAMS AND A TRANSITIONAL WORK SETTING FOR EX-ADDICTS AND EX-OFFENDERS. FROM 1972 TO 1975, IT EMPLOYED 1300 PERSONS. THIS 3-YEAR LONGITUDINAL STUDY COMPARED 264 PARTICIPANTS IN THE WILDCAT PROGRAM AND 267 CONTROLS FOR WHOM CONFIRMABLE ARREST RECORDS WERE AVAILABLE. THE GROUPS WERE ESSENTIALLY COMPARABLE WITH AN 8.6 MEAN NUMBER OF PRIOR ARRESTS, A MEAN AGE OF 20 AT FIRST ARREST, AND A MEAN AGE OF 30 AT TIME OF ENTRY INTO THE PROGRAM. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP HAD 0.91 ARRESTS PER YEAR PRIOR TO TIME OF ENTRY INTO THE PROGRAM; THE CONTROL GROUP PREVIOUSLY HAD 0.98 ARRESTS PER YEAR. VERIFIED ARREST DATA SHOWED 0.58 ARRESTS PER YEAR BEFORE THE PROGRAM AND .37 ARRESTS PER YEAR DURING THE YEAR AFTER ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. THE ARREST RATE WAS 0.33 DURING THE FIRST 6 MONTHS AND 0.41 DURING THE SECOND 6 MONTHS. FOR THE CONTROL GROUP, ARREST RATES WERE 0.66 BEFORE START OF STUDY, 0.43 AFTER THE FIRST YEAR, WITH 0.47 DURING THE FIRST 6 MONTHS AND 0.39 AFTER THE SECOND 6 MONTHS. ARREST RATES FOR FELONIES AND MISDEMEANORS WERE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME FOR BOTH GROUPS. HOWEVER, THE SUPPORTED WORK SUBJECTS HAD A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER ARREST RATE FOR PROPERTY CRIMES, A DROP FROM, 0.25 TO 0.09 FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND FROM 0.23 TO 0.13 FOR THE CONTROLS. THOSE WHO STAYED ACTIVE IN THE PROGRAM FOR A FULL YEAR HAD LOWER ARREST RATES THAN THOSE WHO WERE TERMINATED. THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES AMONG TERMINEES, GRADUATES, AND ACTIVE EXPERIMENTALS IN RATE OF DISMISSED CHARGES. AMONG THOSE CONVICTED, SENTENCE DIFFERENESS BETWEEN TERMINEES AND ACTIVES SUGGEST THAT EMPLOYED PERSONS RECEIVE MORE LENIENT TREATMENT FROM THE COURTS. A SIMILAR SITUATION WAS FOUND FOR THE CONTROLS, SHOWING THAT EMPLOYMENT RATHER THAN SUPPORTED WORK PROGRAM EMPLOYMENT WAS THE DETERMINING FACTOR. ALTHOUGH THE LOWER ARREST RATES WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FOR ALL EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS, THE TOTALS REPRESENT SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS TO THE TAXPAYER. AT ESTIMATED COSTS OF $2150 PER ARREST FOR PROCESSING AND $40 PER DAY FOR INCARCERATION, THE NEW YORK CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM SAVED ABOUT $207,000 THE FIRST YEAR AFTER THE PROJECT BEGAN. PROJECTED TO ALL 1300 WILDCAT EMPLOYEES, THE SAVINGS WERE ABOUT $1 MILLION.