Steve Aos, Annie Pennucci - September 2006

The 2006 Washington State Legislature directed the Institute to "begin the development of a repository of research and evaluations of the cost-benefits of various educational programs and services." This report describes the methodology we are using for this study. Results will be presented in a second report in March 2007.

Robert Barnoski, Wade Cole - September 2006

This report examines the historical relationship between student performance on the 10th-grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) and subsequent high school graduation.

Elizabeth Drake, Robert Barnoski - July 2006

The Washington State Legislature directed the Institute to evaluate the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration’s Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) pilot to determine if DBT reduces recidivism. DBT is a program for juvenile offenders who have mental health issues and reside in a state institution. The Institute conducted a preliminary study of the program in 2002, using a 12-month follow-up period, and found the program reduced felony recidivism. This report updates the 2002 study using a longer follow-up period to measure recidivism.

Elizabeth Drake, Robert Barnoski - July 2006

The Washington State Legislature directed the Institute to evaluate the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration’s mentoring program. The Institute conducted a preliminary analysis of the program in 2002 using a 12-month follow-up period and found reduced recidivism for mentor participants. This report updates the preliminary findings by using a longer follow-up period to measure recidivism.

Elizabeth Drake, Robert Barnoski - July 2006

In July 1998, the Washington State Legislature eliminated parole for youth released from Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration (JRA) institutions for all but high risk and sex offenders. In a 2001 report, preliminary recidivism findings were compared for juvenile offenders released on parole with juvenile offenders released without parole. Results indicated that parole does not have an influence on recidivism. In this study, the Institute used a longer follow-up period and added a second comparison group. This 2006 study is therefore a more rigorous test of the effect of parole on recidivism for most juvenile offenders.

Robert Barnoski - June 2006

This report examines trends in Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) participation as a first step in identifying a valid comparison group needed to evaluate the impact of SOTP on recidivism.

Robert Barnoski - June 2006

This report estimates whether the Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) reduces recidivism by comparing the recidivism rates of sex offenders who were willing but did not participate in SOTP with those who did participate in the program.

Elizabeth Drake, Robert Barnoski - June 2006

The Chemical Dependency Disposition Alternative (CDDA) was created by the 1997 Washington State Legislature as a sentencing option for juvenile offenders. The goal was to reduce recidivism by providing treatment for chemically dependent or substance abusing youth. This report assesses the feasibility of conducting a retrospective outcome evaluation to compare the recidivism rates of a CDDA group to similar youth who did not receive CDDA. We investigated two potential comparison groups: substance abusing youth adjudicated before CDDA started, and substance abusing youth receiving no treatment after CDDA started. The Institute found that an appropriate comparison group could not be identified. Thus, it was not possible to evaluate the impact of CDDA on recidivism.

Elizabeth Drake, Robert Barnoski - June 2006

The Chemical Dependency Disposition Alternative (CDDA) was created by the 1997 Washington State Legislature as a sentencing option for juvenile offenders. The goal was to reduce recidivism by providing treatment for chemically dependent or substance abusing youth. The Institute was directed by the 1997 Legislature to evaluate CDDA to determine its impacts on recidivism. The Institute surveyed the courts to determine how to identify both the CDDA and the CDDA comparison groups. After the initial phase of data collection, the Institute found that an appropriate comparison group could not be identified. Thus, it was not possible to evaluate the impact of CDDA on recidivism or conduct a cost-benefit analysis. However, the survey revealed variations in the implementation of CDDA across the state.

Steve Aos, Jim Mayfield, Marna Miller, Wei Yen - June 2006

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy was directed by the 2005 Washington Legislature to estimate whether “evidence-based” treatment for people with alcohol, drug, and mental health disorders offers economic advantages. Do benefits outweigh costs? And, if so, what is the magnitude of the potential fiscal savings to government, as well as the total net benefits to all of Washington?

To answer these questions, we systematically reviewed the “what works” literature regarding treatments for people with alcohol, drug, and mental health disorders. We then estimated the monetary value of the benefits, including factors such as improved performance in the job market, reduced health care and other costs, and reduced crime-related costs.