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New South Wales drug court evaluation: Cost-effectiveness, CHERE Project Report 17a

Author

Listed:
  • Bronwyn Lind
  • Don Weatherburn
  • Shuling Chen
  • Marian Shanahan
  • Emily Lancsar
  • Marion Haas

    (CHERE, University of Technology, Sydney)

Abstract

In this report we examine an issue central to the creation of the NSW Drug Court: namely its cost-effectiveness, compared with conventional sanctions, in reducing drug-related crime. We were particularly fortunate in undertaking this evaluation, to receive the support and cooperation of the Drug Court and the Attorney General in evaluating the Drug Court using a randomised controlled trial. Randomised controlled trials, in which individuals are randomly allocated to ?treatment? and ?control? groups are recognised as being the ?gold standard? when it comes to outcome evaluation. They provide more assurance of control over extraneous factors which might otherwise bias an evaluation than any other form of research design. To our knowledge, this is the first occasion on which a criminal justice program in Australia has been evaluated using a randomised control design. The evaluation is a first in one other way as well. Very few evaluations of criminal justice or crime prevention programs (either in Australia or overseas) pay much heed to the cost of the program. This greatly hampers the capacity of Government to make rational decisions about the allocation of scarce resources across competing programs. Of course, decisions on programs which affect the liberty of citizens cannot, and should not, be made on the grounds of cost-effectiveness alone. Nevertheless it is to be hoped that our efforts will convince others of the feasibility and value of introducing cost-effectiveness analyses into criminal justice evaluation.

Suggested Citation

  • Bronwyn Lind & Don Weatherburn & Shuling Chen & Marian Shanahan & Emily Lancsar & Marion Haas, 2002. "New South Wales drug court evaluation: Cost-effectiveness, CHERE Project Report 17a," Research Reports 17a, CHERE, University of Technology, Sydney.
    • Handle: RePEc:her:cherrs:17a
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    File URL: http://www.chere.uts.edu.au/pdf/r17.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2002
    Download Restriction: no
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Edward Godber & Ray Robinson & Andrea Steiner, 1997. "Economic Evaluation and the Shifting Balance Towards Primary Care: Definitions, Evidence and Methodological Issues," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 6(3), pages 275-294, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Andrew Leigh, 2003. "Randomised Policy Trials," Agenda - A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics, vol. 10(4), pages 341-354.
    2. Ojmarrh Mitchell & David B. Wilson & Amy Eggers & Doris L. MacKenzie, 2012. "Drug Courts' Effects on Criminal Offending for Juveniles and Adults," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(1), pages -87.
    3. Jeff Borland & Yi-Ping Tseng & Roger Wilkins, 2013. "Does Coordination of Welfare Services Delivery Make a Difference for Extremely Disadvantaged Jobseekers? Evidence from the ‘YP-super-4’ Trial," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 89(287), pages 469-489, December.
    4. Elizabeth L. C. Merrall & Sheila M. Bird, 2009. "A Statistical Perspective on the Design of Drug-Court Studies," Evaluation Review, , vol. 33(3), pages 257-280, June.
    5. Marian Shanahan & Emily Lancsar & Marion Haas & Bronwyn Lind & Don Weatherburn & Shuling Chen, 2004. "Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the New South Wales Adult Drug Court Program," Evaluation Review, , vol. 28(1), pages 3-27, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economic evaluation; treatment programs;

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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