Prevention and Early Intervention Linking Long-Term Vision with Short-Term Costs J effrey P oirier, B.A. M ary M agee Q uinn, Ph.D. American Institutes for Research (AIR) National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice (EDJJ)

Overview n The role of school-based prevention in meeting the needs of at-risk youth n The importance of ensuring at-risk youth are educated n The costs of not preventing juvenile/adult crime n The long-term benefits and savings associated with reduced delinquency

The Need for Prevention n An 18 year old is five times more likely to be arrested for a property crime than a 35 year old n In 1997, year olds comprised 7% of the overall population but 20% of arrests for violent offenses and 1/3 of all property crime arrests n Overall, teenagers are responsible for 20-30% of all crime

Levels of Prevention Primary Secondary Tertiary

Primary Prevention n Strategies applied to intact groups or populations, such as a school-wide discipline plan used to help all students in a school meet behavioral and academic expectations n Focuses on avoiding the initial occurrence of a problem

Reading Programs n Youth in Correctional Facilities u Median age 15.5 years u 9th grade (placement) u 4th grade reading (mean) u > 1/3 read below 4th grade n Adults u 19% completely illiterate u 40% functionally illiterate

Adult Literacy

Reading Programs n Prison-based literacy programs significantly more effective than boot camps or shock incarceration n The more education a prisoner receives the less likely they are to be re-arrested or re-imprisoned

Literacy n Quality reading programs can reduce recidivism by 20%. n Probationers had significantly lower re-arrest rates (35% vs 46%) n Recipients of GED had significantly lower re-arrest rates (24% vs 46%) n Inmates with 2 years of college (10% vs 60%)

Education Level

Levels of Prevention Primary Secondary Tertiary

Secondary Prevention n Focus on preventing repeated occurrences of problem behavior through more targeted interventions n Efforts provide additional support when universal preventative efforts are not sufficient

Secondary Prevention n Example: students who have more than one disciplinary referral in a given month for fighting may be provided with special instruction in conflict resolution or social skills

High/Scope Preschool Programs n Benefits u fewer acts of misconduct u higher grade point averages u higher rates of employment u lower rates of welfare dependence

High/Scope Preschool Programs n Costs u $39,278 per child u $ 964 increased need for funds for secondary education programs n Savings u reduced need for special education u reduced crime rate u $6,495 lifetime tax payments

Tertiary Prevention n most intensive level of support and intervention n attempts to reduce the impact of a condition or problem on the individual's ability to function in the least restrictive setting

Tertiary Prevention n Example: the needs of students identified as having an emotional/behavioral disability are addressed through special education services and behavior intervention plans so that they may benefit from the educational program n Includes outside agency support

Home Visit Programs n Costs u $2700/year from third trimester through age 2 u $6000/year for day care and early childhood education n Benefits u 11 serious crimes prevented per million dollars spent

Parent Training n Costs u $500/year per family for instruction and supplies u $2500/year per family for program management n Benefits u 157 serious crimes prevented per millions dollars spent

High School Graduation n Adult Inmates in State Facilities u 70% have not completed high school u 46% have had some high school u 16.4 % have had no high school at all

Graduation Incentives n Costs u $3130/year for 4 years for each youth n Benefits u 258 serious crimes prevented per million dollars spent

Delinquent Programs n Costs u $10,000/year per youth (conservative estimate) n Benefits u 72 serious crimes prevented per million dollars spent

Students with Disabilities  The arrest rate among high school dropouts with disabilities was 56 percent, compared with 16 percent among graduates, and 10 percent among those who "aged out" of school.  Among dropouts with serious emotional disturbances, the arrest rate was 73 percent, three to five years after secondary school

The Costs of Crime n Lost property and wages n Medical expenses n Decreased productivity n Pain and suffering n Decreased quality of life/societal well- being (e.g., fear of crime, changing lifestyle due to risk of victimization)

The Costs of Crime n Incarceration (prisons/correctional facilities) n Increased demand for criminal/civil justice services n Opportunity costs (forgone activities due to reduction of public resources)

Who incurs these costs? n Crime victims n Government agencies n Taxpayers n Society n Offenders

Cost of Victimization n 23% of all U.S. households victimized n National Crime Victimization Survey: crime victims lost $17.6 billion in direct costs in 1992 n Includes losses from property theft or damage, cash losses, medical expenses, and amount of pay lost because of injury/activities related to the crime n Crimes included attempts and completed offenses of rape, robbery, assault, personal and household theft, burglary, and motor vehicle theft

Expenditures for the Criminal and Civil Justice System n Total: $147 billion in 1999 (for police protection, corrections, and judicial/legal activities) n 309% increase from n Local government funded half of these expenses

Expenditures for the Criminal and Civil Justice System n States contributed another 39% n Criminal and civil justice expenditures comprised 7.7% of all state and local expenditures

Lifetime Costs of Career Criminals n A life of crime costs society $1.5-$1.8 million n Lifetime cost of a juvenile career: u Victim costs: $62,000-$250,000 u Criminal justice: $21,000-$84,000 F Total: $83,000-$335,000 u For every 10 crimes committed, only one is caught

Lifetime Costs of Career Criminals n Lifetime cost of an adult career u Victim costs: $1,000,000 u Criminal justice: $335,000 u Offender’s lost productivity: $64,000 F Total: $1,400,000

High/Scope Preschool Programs n Costs u $39,278 per child u $964 increased need for funds for secondary education programs n Savings u reduced need for special education u reduced crime rate u $6,495 lifetime tax payments

Costs of Dropping Out n Lost wage productivity: $300,000 n Nonmarket losses: $95,000-$375,000 F Total: $243,000-$388,000 n Annual cost of providing for youth who fail to complete high school and their families: $76 billion n Approximately $800 for each taxpayer

Conclusion n Intervention efforts targeting at-risk youth will not eliminate juvenile crime but can reduce it n If these efforts succeed at least some of the time, they will pay for themselves through savings and benefits to both society and the juvenile

Conclusion n The savings and benefits are the costs that were prevented n It is important to have a long-term vision when considering the short- term costs of prevention programs