Colorado Results First
Quick Guide: Adult Criminal Justice Findings
2015
Results First Overview
Colorado Results First is part of the
Pew-MacArthur
Results
First
Initiative. The Initiative, a project
of the Pew Charitable Trusts and
the John D. and Catherine T.
MacArthur Foundation, supports
jurisdictions
with
the
implementation of an innovative
benefit-cost
model.
Using
Colorado-specific inputs along with
data derived from the best available
research, the benefit-cost model
helps Colorado estimate the net
long-term benefits of evidencebased program investments.
Evidence-based
programs
are
programs that have had rigorous
research evaluations completed on
them and demonstrate that program
activities lead to measurable
outcomes. The standards for the
evidence-based programs included
in the Results First benefit-cost
model are determined by the
Washington State Institute for
Public Policy and the PewMacArthur Results First Initiative.
Colorado’s Executive Branch and
the General Assembly began
participating in the Pew-MacArthur
Results First Initiative in July 2014.
To implement the project, the Colorado Results First team works collaboratively with the General
Assembly’s Joint Budget Committee, the Judicial Branch, state departments, and local
jurisdictions.

Benefit-Cost Analysis
Benefit-cost analysis is the systematic process of calculating and comparing the benefits and costs
of a program to determine if it is a sound investment and to provide a method for comparing
alternative programs. Dividing program benefits by the program cost reflects how much may be
avoided in future costs for every dollar invested into a program. For example, if a program

 produces $1,730 in benefits as a result of the participant successfully completing the program, and
it costs $240 dollars to have the participant in the program, the benefit to cost ratio would equal
$7.21 ($1,730 / $240 = $7.21). The $7.21 amount reflects how much can be avoided in future
costs for every dollar invested into the program ($1 invested = $7.21 avoided, or a $6.21 net
benefit).
Adult criminal justice program benefits are based on a program’s projected ability to reduce future
crime, specifically recidivism. Using five years of recidivism data, Colorado Results First projects
program benefits for 5 years. Recidivism is defined as any offense committed after release to the
community, or after initial placement in the community, that results in a conviction by a state
court.

Adult Criminal Justice Results Review
Colorado Results First’s 2015 Results Guide presents programmatic details about adult criminal
justice programs 1 that were operational in Colorado during FY 2013-14 and received state
funding. Adult criminal justice programs refer to intervention programs that are intended to
reduce recidivism.
The table on the following page shows the benefits and costs of Colorado’s evidence-based adult
criminal justice programs that were run through the benefit-cost model. For additional information
about these programs’ return on investment projections, please refer to Colorado Results First’s
2015 full-length report titled “Results Guide.” The full-length report, and the 2015 High-Level
Model Documentation report that contains information about how the model monetizes benefits,
can be found on Colorado Results First’s website: https://sites.google.com/state.co.us/rfpfs/
Colorado-results-first/reports.

1

The term “program” refers to a program, service, strategy, or tool that has an effect on discrete outcome(s).

 Benefit-Cost Results of Evidence-Based Adult Criminal Justice Programs
Benefits and program costs are rounded to the nearest dollar.
Program Name

Correctional
Industry
Revenue/
Canteen Funds

Program
Cost
(FY
2014)

Benefits
Minus
Costs (Net
Present
Value)

Taxpayer
Benefits to
Cost Ratio

Total
Benefits
to Cost
Ratio

Total
Benefits

Taxpayer
Benefits

NonTaxpayer
Benefits

Department of
Corrections

$5,983

$1,537

$4,410

$36

$599

$5,384

$2.60

$10.00

Department of
Corrections

$8,496

$2,099

$6,379

$18

$1,152

$7,344

$1.80

$7.40

Department of
Corrections

$7,934

$2,018

$5,916

-

$994

$6,940

$2.00

$8.00

$7,508

$1,928

$5,580

-

$570

$6,938

$3.40

$13.20

$5,639

$1,399

$4,240

-

$9,195

$(3,556)

$0.20

$0.60

Department of
Corrections

$5,337

$1,367

$3,970

-

$3,028

$2,309

$0.50

$1.80

Department of
Corrections

$8,904

$1,950

$5,991

$963

$2,380

$6,524

$0.80

$3.70

Department of
Corrections

$3,284

$849

$2,435

-

$682

$2,602

$1.20

$4.80

Department of
Corrections

$7,201

$1,866

$5,335

-

$463

$6,738

$4.00

$15.60

$2,573

$701

$1,872

-

$190

$2,382

$3.70

$13.50

$9,818

$2,442

$7,376

-

$1,382

$8,436

$1.80

$7.10

$7,352

$1,958

$5,394

-

$1,708

$5,644

$1.20

$4.30

Department/
Organization

Facility Programs
Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy for Moderate- to
High-Risk Offenders
Correctional Education
(Basic or Post-Secondary)
in Prison
Inpatient/Intensive
Outpatient Drug Treatment
in Prison
Outpatient/Non-Intensive
Drug Treatment in Prison
Sex Offender Treatment in
Prison
Therapeutic Communities
for Chemically Dependent
Offenders in Prison
Vocational Education in
Prison

Department of
Corrections
Department of
Corrections

Parole Programs
Case Management (Not
Swift and Certain
Sanctions for Substance
Abusing Offenders)
Domestic Violence
Perpetrator Treatment
(Non-Duluth Model)
Electronic Monitoring
Intensive Supervision with
Treatment
Sex Offender Treatment in
the Community

Department of
Corrections
Department of
Corrections
Department of
Corrections

 Benefit-Cost Results of Evidence-Based Adult Criminal Justice Programs (Continued)
Benefits and program costs are rounded to the nearest dollar.
Program Name

Department/
Organization

Total
Benefits

Taxpayer
Benefits

NonTaxpayer
Benefits

Correctional
Industry
Revenue/
Canteen Funds

Program
Cost
(FY
2014)

Benefits
Minus
Costs (Net
Present
Value)

Taxpayer
Benefits to
Cost Ratio

Total
Benefits
to Cost
Ratio

Office of Behavioral Health Programs
Case Management (Not
Swift and Certain
Sanctions for Substance
Abusing Offenders)
Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy for Moderate- to
High-Risk Offenders
Inpatient/Intensive
Outpatient Drug Treatment
in the Community

Department of
Human Services

$2,149

$611

$1,538

-

$3,265

$(1,116)

$0.20

$0.70

Department of
Human Services

$3,662

$1,040

$2,622

-

$899

$2,763

$1.20

$4.10

Department of
Human Services

$729

$208

$521

-

$2,612

$(1,883)

$0.10

$0.30

Department of
Public Safety

$1,412

$699

$713

-

$4,244

$(2,832)

$0.20

$0.30

Department of
Public Safety

$452

$224

$228

-

$4,134

$(3,682)

$0.10

$0.10

$3,752

$1,863

$1,889

-

$448

$3,304

$4.20

$8.40

$3,718

$1,851

$1,867

-

$5,254

$(1,536)

$0.40

$0.70

Department of
Public Safety

$2,795

$1,391

$1,404

-

$5,800

$(3,005)

$0.20

$0.50

Department of
Public Safety

$5,357

$2,664

$2,693

-

$7,548

$(2,191)

$0.40

$0.70

Community Corrections Programs
Case Management (Not
Swift and Certain
Sanctions for Substance
Abusing Offenders)
Inpatient/Intensive
Outpatient Drug Treatment
in the Community
Intensive Supervision with
Treatment
Sex Offender Treatment in
the Community
Therapeutic Communities
for Chemically Dependent
Offenders in the
Community
Therapeutic Communities
for Offenders with CoOccurring Disorders

Department of
Public Safety
Department of
Public Safety