Steve Lerch, Jim Mayfield - June 2001

This study examines the impact of Post-employment services provided by the Washington State WorkFirst program. Post-employment services are intended to help employed WorkFirst clients stay employed and find better paying jobs. The analysis shows that clients who receive Post-employment services have higher rates of employment, earn more, and work more hours than similar clients who did not receive those services. The study also evaluates the impact of more intensive Post-employment services provided in the Spokane area and examines the costs associated with supporting employed clients.

Lucy Berliner, David Fine - June 2001

The 2000 Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (Institute) to compare placement decisions and funding methodologies for residential care services for children in long-term foster care and to examine the best practices in other states (EHB 2487).  This report finds that initial placement decisions that correspond to the level of difficulties faced by a foster child and ongoing supports appropriate to the needs of the foster family are two steps that may improve the continuity of foster care placements and lead to positive outcomes for youth in foster care.

Steve Aos, Polly Phipps, Robert Barnoski, Roxanne Lieb - May 2001

This report describes the Institute's latest analysis of the costs and benefits of crime prevention and intervention programs. It contains a summary of the findings as well as a detailed technical discussion of the model used to estimate costs and benefits.

Robert Barnoski, Steve Aos - March 2001

For a one-year period, the 1997 Legislature eliminated Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration (JRA) parole for all but sex offenders and the highest-risk offenders leaving JRA institutions. Subsequently, the 1999 Legislature reinstated parole for all offenders leaving those institutions. In order to determine whether parole services influenced subsequent criminal conduct, the Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (Institute) to compare outcomes of youth with and without parole. The Institute compared the recidivism rates of those juveniles released without parole in fiscal year 1999 to a similar group released with parole during the previous year.

Robert Barnoski - March 2001

In 1997, the Washington State Legislature funded intensive parole for youth under the supervision of the state’s Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration (JRA). This legislation targets 25 percent of the JRA population at the highest risk for re-offending. The goals of the intensive parole program include maintaining public protection in both the short-term and long-term; assuring individual accountability; and providing treatment and support services. JRA's method for achieving these goals is through an overarching case management system intended to help high-risk delinquents make the transition from secure confinement to community supervision.

This briefing paper looks at intensive parole program youth and answers the following questions about parole revocations: How are intensive parole youth being contacted while residing in a JRA facility? How are the intensive parole residential phase contact standards being met?

Lucy Berliner, David Fine - February 2001

The 2000 Legislature directed the Institute to compare placement decisions and funding methodologies for residential care services for children in long-term foster care and to examine the best practices in other states (EHB 2487). This report addresses the state’s funding methodologies. A separate report covers innovative practices and a literature review.

Lee Doran, Lucy Berliner - February 2001

The 2000 Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (Institute) to examine best practices in other states regarding placement decisions for children in long-term foster care (EHB 2487 §607 (5)).  The following topics are covered in this report:  1) Placement decision-making;   2) Research findings of children in foster care; and 3) Innovative practices in other states. 

Lee Doran, Lucy Berliner - February 2001

Washington State’s Adoption Support Program encourages families to adopt children from the child welfare system who, because of age, race, physical condition, or emotional health, are considered difficult to place.  The program was established by the 1971 Legislature and is intended to remove financial barriers to adoption.  Adoption assistance includes help with legal costs, fees for adoption, ongoing monthly maintenance for adopted children with special needs, medical coverage, counseling reimbursements, and training opportunities for adoptive parents.  The 2000 Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to review the Adoption Support Program (EHB 2487 §607 (5)).

Steve Lerch, Jim Mayfield - February 2001

The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) contracted with the Institute to develop models and procedures to forecast revenue from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses. This report describes (1) current impediments to developing detailed revenue forecast models, (2) short-term strategies for forecasting license revenues, and (3) suggestions for improving forecast methodology as more information becomes available.

David Boerner, Roxanne Lieb - January 2001

Lessons from Washington State's sentencing reform in the early 1980s are summarized in this 2001 article.