TRANSITIONAL AID FOR RELEASED PRISONERS - EVIDENCE FROM THE LIFE EXPERIMENT (FROM EVALUATION STUDIES - REVIEW ANNUAL, V 3, 1978 BY THOMAS D COOK ET AL - SEE NCJ-51598)

• NCJ Number: 51609
• Author(s): C D MALLAR; C V D THORNTON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 20 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: FROM JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCES, V 13, N 2 (1978), P 208-236

Annotation

TO TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRANSITIONAL AID PROGRAMS FOR EX-PRISONERS WITH HIGH PROBABILITIES OF RECIDIVISM, A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT WAS DESIGNED TO TEST THE IMPACT OF LIFE (LIVING INSURANCE FOR EX-OFFENDERS).

Abstract

THE AIM OF THE LIFE PROGRAM, CONDUCTED IN BALTIMORE, MD., WAS TO INCREASE RELEASEES' CHOICES AND RAISE THE OPPORTUNITY COST OF CRIME BY PROVIDING INCOME-MAINTENANCE AND JOB-PLACEMENT SERVICES TO EX-PRISONERS FOR A SHORT PERIOD FOLLOWING RELEASE. THE 432 PRISONERS ENROLLED FOR THE PROGRAM WERE DIVIDED INTO 4 TREATMENT GROUPS. THE FIRST GROUP RECEIVED $60 A WEEK AND JOB-PLACEMENT SERVICE FOR 1 YEAR AFTER RELEASE, THE SECOND GROUP RECEIVED ONLY THE INCOME MAINTENANCE, THE THIRD GROUP RECEIVED JOB-PLACEMENT SERVICES, AND THE FOURTH GROUP OBTAINED NO SERVICES. DETAILED INFORMATION WAS COLLECTED ON THE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OF THE PARTICIPANTS, AND INTERVIEWS WERE HELD WITH PARTICIPANTS AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE YEAR TO GATHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION. ONE YEAR AFTER ARREST, IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SIZEABLE REDUCTION IN RECIDIVISM FOR THOSE PERSONS RECEIVING FINANCIAL AID (27 PERCENT), BUT THERE WAS NO APPARENT EFFECT IN REGARD TO JOB-PLACEMENT SERVICES. WHEN THE SAMPLE MEAN DIFFERENCES ARE ADJUSTED BY REGRESSION TECHNIQUES, THE RESULTS ARE ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGED, ALTHOUGH DATA FOR THE SECOND YEAR INDICATED THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL HAD STABILIZED AND NARROWED SLIGHTLY. A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS IS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE IF THE RATE OF RECIDIVISM REDUCTION IS LARGE ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY THE INCOME-MAINTENANCE PROGRAM. BASIC TYPES OF SOCIAL BENEFITS GAINED FROM REDUCED RECIDIVISM ARE SAVINGS IN JUDICIAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ARREST, THEFT-RELATED LOSS REDUCTION, DECREASE IN RESOURCES SPENT IN CRIME PREVENTION, AND REDUCTION OF INDIRECT SOCIAL COSTS. AN INCREASE IN EMPLOYMENT AND A DECREASE IN WELFARE COSTS COULD ALSO BE REALIZED. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS REPRESENT THE PRIMARY EXPENSE OF LIFE. CALCULATIONS OF THE SOCIAL BENEFIT/COST RATIO SHOW THAT THE BENEFITS OF THE INCOME-MAINTENANCE PROGRAM SUBSTANTIALLY OUTWEIGH THE COST. RESEARCH INTO LONGRUN EFFECTS OF THE PROGRAM IS NEEDED AS WELL AS EXAMINATION OF THE PROGRAM UNDER DIFFERENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)