NIJ Research in Brief: Cost-Benefit Analysis

JUNE 2014

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE

RESEARCH

IN BRIEF

Cost-Benefit Analysis

A GUIDE FOR DRUG COURTS AND

OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS

BY P. MITCHELL DOWNEY AND JOHN K. ROMAN

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs 810 Seventh St. N.W. Washington, DC 20531

Eric H. Holder, Jr. Attorney General Karol V. Mason Assistant Attorney General Greg Ridgeway Acting Director, National Institute of Justice

This and other publications and products of the National Institute of Justice can be found at: National Institute of Justice Office of Justice Programs Innovation ? Partnerships ? Safer Neighborhoods

JUNE 2014

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE

RESEARCH

IN BRIEF

Cost-Benefit Analysis

A GUIDE FOR DRUG COURTS AND OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS

BY P. MITCHELL DOWNEY AND JOHN K. ROMAN

Findings and conclusions of the research reported here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. NCJ 246769

3 RESEARCH IN BRIEF

Cost-Benefit Analysis

A GUIDE FOR DRUG COURTS AND OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS

BY P. MITCHELL DOWNEY AND JOHN K. ROMAN

Policymakers and practitioners face difficult decisions when they allocate resources. As resource constraints have tightened, the role of researchers in informing evidence-based and costeffective decisions about the use of funds, labor, materials and equipment -- and even the skills of workers -- has increased. We believe research that can inform decisions about resource allocation will be a central focus of criminal justice research in the years to come, with cost-benefit analysis (CBA) among the key tools. This report about the use of CBA is aimed at not only researchers but also practitioners and policymakers who use research to make choices about how to use limited resources. Although we include NIJ's Multi-site Adult Drug Court Evaluation (MADCE) as an example of CBA in practice, this report is not just about using CBA in drug courts. Our intent is to help researchers, state agencies, policymakers, program managers and other criminal justice stakeholders understand: ? What CBA is and in which contexts it is appropriate.

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