A Report of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency in collaboration with the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative

Pennsylvania policymakers have been utilizing cost-benefit and return on investment (ROI) information to inform decision-making for over twenty years (Jones, et al, 2008). Through the leadership of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), in partnership with Penn State’s Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center (PRC), our Commonwealth has led the field in investing in evidence-based prevention and intervention programming to reduce the flow of youth entering the Juvenile Justice System and to enhance the well-being of youth, families, and communities.

In partnership with the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative, PCCD and PRC have endeavored to build a Pennsylvania specific cost-benefit model utilizing Pennsylvania service costs, and Pennsylvania crime and recidivism data. This report summarizes these efforts to date and identifies strengths and limitations of the Pennsylvania data. The report also includes recommendations for policymakers, researchers, and program providers to maximize the impact and return on investment for specific evidence-based programs (EBPs) and increase evidence-based decision making throughout the state.