
Contents
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I. Costs of Imprisonment I. Costs of Imprisonment
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II. Economic Analysis for Evidence-Based Policy II. Economic Analysis for Evidence-Based Policy
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III. Early Prevention of Delinquency and Later Offending III. Early Prevention of Delinquency and Later Offending
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IV. Early Prevention versus Imprisonment IV. Early Prevention versus Imprisonment
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V. Other Economic Research V. Other Economic Research
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VI. Discussion and Conclusions VI. Discussion and Conclusions
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References References
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19 Early Prevention as an Alternative to Imprisonment: The Research Evidence on Monetary Costs and Benefits
Get accessBrandon C. Welsh is a Professor of Criminology at Northeastern University, the Visiting Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and the Director of the Cambridge-Somerville Youth Study.
Heather Paterson is a doctoral student in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University.
David P. Farrington is the Emeritus Professor of Psychological Criminology in the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge and Director of the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development.
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Published:23 January 2024
Cite
Abstract
This chapter examines the extent to which early prevention provides economic returns to society and whether the returns make it a more worthwhile policy alternative to imprisonment. To address this question the authors reviewed (a) the latest benefit-cost analyses of early prevention programs, (b) the first generation of studies that have examined the economics of early prevention compared to imprisonment, including Washington State’s ongoing comparative benefit-cost model, and (c) a wide range of other economic studies. Based on the highest-quality research evidence, they found clear and substantial support for policy options that emphasize early prevention and limit the use of imprisonment. Importantly, the economic returns of early prevention compared to imprisonment are sizable, wide-ranging (i.e., cascading over multiple domains), and long-lasting, with some studies showing economic benefits accruing well into midlife. Implications for policy are discussed.
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