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Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit

Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit
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Few states and counties have a sense of the return on investment they are getting for their criminal and juvenile justice system expenditures. Money is spent and assumptions are made about the effects—both financial and substantive—of policy and program choices, without much solid information on the real costs or benefits incurred. Yet this information is highly relevant to the decisions policymakers need to make, particularly in the currently challenging fiscal climate.

 

Vera’s Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit helps policymakers get clear and accessible information on the economic pros and cons associated with criminal and juvenile justice investments, so that they can identify the interventions that are both effective and affordable for their jurisdiction and allocate resources accordingly. We perform cost-benefit analyses and other cost-related studies, provide assistance to jurisdictions conducting their own studies, and carry out research to advance the knowledge and application of cost-benefit analysis in the justice system.

The Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit draws upon the experience and expertise of Vera’s Director, Michael Jacobson, who served as a senior official in the New York City Office of Management and Budget from 1984 to 1992; Affiliated Scholar and professor at New York University's Wagner School, Dall W. Forsythe, who was budget director for the State of New York from 1988 to 1991; and other leading experts and practitioners from across the nation.

For more information on the Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit, please contact Tina Chiu, director of technical assistance.