Overview:

Researchers from the University of Maryland, Baltimore are evaluating a graduated response approach implemented by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services in 2015 for all youth under community supervision in the state. The Accountability and Incentives Management (AIM) system was designed to promote youth accountability, reduce rates of supervision violations and recidivism, prevent detention and committed placements resulting from supervision violations, and address racial disproportionalities in detention and committed placements. This project will advance understanding about whether graduated response systems, which use a range of sanctions and incentives, can improve outcomes with juvenile offenders.

This project is funded under OJJDP's Assessing the Impact of Juvenile Justice Reforms Program, which supported research and evaluations to investigate whether certain juvenile justice policies and practices produce better outcomes for youth, improve public safety, and/or achieve a greater return on taxpayer investments.

Goals and Objectives:

The goal of this study is to assess the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services' implementation of the AIM system and the effectiveness of this approach with respect to outcomes and costs for youth under community supervision. More specifically, the study is:

• Conducting descriptive and bivariate analyses of administrative records for a sample of youth who were under supervision once the system was implemented to assess the extent to which case managers implemented the system as intended.


• Using a two-group, quasi-experimental design to compare the treatment group (i.e., those supervised with the system) and a statistically equivalent comparison group who completed community supervision prior to program implementation to assess the impact of the system on a variety of outcomes.
  
  The outcomes of interest include: (1) violation of probation filed with the courts, (2) detention due to violation of probation, (3) committed placement due to violation of probation, (4) successful completion of supervision, (5) length of stay under supervision [number of days], (6) length of stay in detention [number of days], (7) recidivism as measured by referral to the Department of Juvenile Services or adult arrest, (8) adjudication or adult conviction, and (9) Department of Juvenile Services commitment or adult incarceration.


• Conducting a cost-offset (also known as cost-savings) analysis, a simplified form of cost-benefits analysis, to examine the extent to which the costs of implementing the system offset the costs associated with secure detention and committed placements.

Milestones:

The researchers are establishing the study samples, preparing to complete the process and outcome analyses, and collecting necessary data to support the cost-offset analysis. After the project completion in late 2018, OJJDP will post a final technical report to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service.

Contact Information:

Jill Farrell, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
jfarrell@ssw.umaryland.edu | 410-706-6693
University of Maryland School of Social Work

Benjamin Adams, Social Science Analyst
Benjamin.Adams@usdoj.gov | 202-616-3687