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Monetary Benefits and Costs of the Stop Now And Plan Program for Boys Aged 6–11, Based on the Prevention of Later Offending

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Abstract

Objectives

To assess the monetary benefits and costs of the Stop Now And Plan-Under 12 Outreach Project (SNAP-ORP), a cognitive–behavioral skills training and self-control program, in preventing later offending by boys.

Methods

We assess the effect size of the SNAP-ORP program and convert this into a percentage reduction in convictions. We apply this reduction to the number and types of offenses committed by a sample of 376 boys between ages 12 and 20, taking account of co-offending, to estimate the crimes saved by the program. Based on the cost of each type of crime, we estimate the cost savings per boy and compare this with the cost of the SNAP-ORP program for low, moderate and high risk boys. We also scale up from convictions to undetected crimes.

Results

Based on convictions, we estimate that between $2.05 and $3.75 are saved for every $1 spent on the program. Scaling up to undetected offenses, between $17.33 and $31.77 are saved for every $1 spent on the program. The benefit-to-cost ratio was greatest for the low risk boys and smallest for the high-risk boys. However, there were indications that the program was particularly effective for high risk boys who received intensive treatment.

Conclusions

Our benefit-to-cost ratios are underestimates. On any reasonable assumptions, the monetary benefits of the SNAP-ORP program greatly exceed its monetary costs. It is desirable to invest in early prevention programs such as SNAP-ORP to reduce crime and save money.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to Leena Augimeri and Margaret Walsh for providing us with cost estimates for the SNAP-ORP program and for providing some financial support for this research. Nevertheless, we conducted this research independently of the program developers and we have no financial or other stake in the SNAP-ORP program. We are also very grateful to Jeffrey Burke and Peter Carrington for carrying out special analyses for us.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Criminology, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 9DA, UK

    David P. Farrington

  2. Ontario Correctional Institute, Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, 109 McLaughlin Road South, Brampton, ON, L6Y 2C8, Canada

    Christopher J. Koegl

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Correspondence to David P. Farrington.

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Farrington, D.P., Koegl, C.J. Monetary Benefits and Costs of the Stop Now And Plan Program for Boys Aged 6–11, Based on the Prevention of Later Offending. J Quant Criminol 31, 263–287 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10940-014-9240-7

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