This document discusses using cost-benefit analysis to evaluate justice policies and pretrial systems. It outlines the steps of CBA, including determining costs and benefits from different stakeholder perspectives. As an example, it analyzes studies that found incarcerating offenders costs $1 but generates $1.74 in benefits to taxpayers and victims. The document recommends CBAs on pretrial systems and provides resources for practitioners, including a knowledge bank and studies on estimating public safety benefits.

1. Cost-Benefit Analysis and Bail Reform January 20, 2011 Christian Henrichson, Senior Policy Analyst, Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit Presentation at the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Justice and Public Safety Retreat.

3. Using CBA to evaluate justice policy and pretrial

6. How much does this cost?

7. Cost-effectiveness analysis

8. What is the best value for standard outputs?

9. Cost-benefit analysis

11. A type of economic evaluation that allows you to evaluate programs and policies from the perspectives of multiples stakeholders.

12. A tool to identify the policies and programs that yield the greatest net benefit to society.

14. Using CBA to evaluate pretrial and justice policy

16. Studies of other justice issues, however, can provide guidance on a cost-benefit analysis of pretrial.

17. Perspectives to consider

18. Taxpayer – jail savings (benefit)

19. Taxpayer – cost of re-apprehension (cost)

20. Defendants – freedom from release (benefit)

23. Resources

25. Podcasts with experts in the field

28. Additional Resources Cost-Benefit and Pre-trial Landes, William M. “The Bail System: An Economic Approach.” 1973. http://www.jstor.org/pss/724027 Cohen, Mark A.; Bowles, Roger. “Pre-Trial Detention: A Cost-Benefit Approach.” 2008. http://nicic.gov/Library/023453 Measuring Public Safety Benefits Cohen, Mark A. and Alex Piquero. (2009). New Evidence on the Monetary Value of Saving a High Risk Youth. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Volume 25, pp. 25-49. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1077214

29. Attributions This project is supported by Grant No. 2009-MU-BX K029 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, the Community Capacity Development Office, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.