Issues: Economics
A growing body of evidence proves that what’s best for kids is also cost effective. Incarceration is expensive and yields poor results. That’s why the Alliance supports prevention and early intervention community-based programs.
Resources
Fiscal Policy Center
The National Juvenile Justice Network project that is quantifying the savings reaped from juvenile justice reform.
Juvenile Justice System: How Much
are Evidence-Based Practices Worth?
This Reclaiming Futures blog entry describes how using evidence-based practices in the juvenile justice system reduces delinquency and avoids costs. Read blog entry
The Costs of Confinement: Why Good Juvenile
Justice Policies Make Good Fiscal Sense
This Justice Policy Institute brief details how states can see a net reduction in costs by moving expenditures away from large, congruent care facilities for youth and investing in community-based alternatives. Evidence is growing that there are cost-effective policies and programs for intervening in the lives of delinquent youth which actually improve community safety and outcomes for children. PDF, 253 KB
Cost-Effective Interventions for Juvenile Offenders
Read Dr. Peter Greenwood's Powerpoint presentation that he gave in front of Judiciary, Childrens, and Appropriations committees on March 9, 2007 for Educate the Legislature Day. PowerPoint, 311.5 KB
Fighting Crime: An Economist’s View
In the Milken Institute Review (1Q 2005), Yale economist John Donohue offers his opinions on policy changes that he believes could reduce crime and dramatically reduce the amount of money spent or lost as a result of crime every year. PDF, 562 KB
What Works, Wisconsin: What Science Tells Us about Cost-Effective Programs for Juvenile Delinquency Prevention
A Report to the Wisconsin Governor’s Juvenile Justice Commission
and the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance PDF, 839 KB
Action
Sign our petition
Learn what programs in your community are preventing kids from entering the juvenile justice system and support them.
Let policymakers know that you want your tax dollars spent on programs that work.