Benefits and Costs of a Targeted Intervention Program for Youthful Offenders: The Youthbuild USA Offender Project

Abstract

This paper reports on a benefit-cost analysis of a targeted intervention program aimed at low-income, 16-24 year old criminal offenders, the YouthBuild Offender Project. Using data on 388 participants, we find: (1) evidence of reduced recidivism and improved educational outcomes that exceed our expectations based on similar cohorts, and (2) evidence consistent with a positive benefit-cost ratio, indicating that every dollar spent on the YouthBuild Offender Project is estimated to produce a return on investment between $7.20 and $21.60, with benefits to society ranging between $174,000 and $281,000 per participant at a cost to society between $13,000 and $24,000.

Keywords: cost-benefit analysis, high risk youth, delinquency, recidivism, high school graduation

JEL Classification: D61, K42, I21