A new study indicates that the McShin Foundation’s Caroline County Recovery Community Program (CCRCP) saved $221,000 in incarceration costs in 2013, according to McShin.
Additionally, a recidivism rate of 5 percent among program
participants was cited.
The Caroline County Recovery Community Program began in January 2011 as a
means to an alternative sentence to jail and prison and is provided by the McShin
Foundation at no cost to the taxpayers. McShin currently underwrites all program-associated
costs. The program not only saves the county thousands of dollars
annually, but it also provides participants with an opportunity to engage in authentic
peer-based recovery that is typically not available to offenders while incarcerated,
thus lowering recidivism rates and saving significant money.
Caroline County is fairly rural, with limited recovery resources. Additionally, there
is not adequate access to public transportation, thus limiting the option of seeking
recovery elsewhere.
As a response to the dire need of Caroline County, the McShin
Foundation partnered with the Caroline County Commonwealth Attorney Tony
Spencer to offer the CCRCP in order to promote recovery in the local community
while utilizing a peer-based model that involves participants who are successful in their recovery
actually delivering the recovery message. The mission of the program is to deliver a message
of hope to recovering addicts and alcoholics and facilitate their journey to a healthier
life.
The study found that of the 44 individuals who have graduated from CCRCP over the
past two and a half years, only two have returned to jail. This reflects a success rate
over 95 percent; in other words 95 percent of the individuals who go through the
program do not get incarcerated again. This also equates to a 4.5 percent recidivism rate –
an extremely low of rate.
By sentencing individuals to the CCRCP, the typical minimum sentence is most often not
served if the program is successfully completed. The study determined that the CCRCP
made available 4,654 bed nights (4,654 days is equivalent to 12.75 years) for other
offenders. In addition to the thousands of bed nights available due to the decrease of
individuals frequenting Pamunkey, Caroline County experienced $221,053 of direct
cost savings due to the 21 current participants.
This number is associated with the current 21 participants. The cost savings from the four previous classes is comparable. It can be assumed that close to $1 million in savings directly to Caroline County has been experienced since the CCRCP began in January of
2011.
The high level of success found with the Caroline County Recovery Community Program
as it relates to recidivism rates among the graduates, as well as the large amount of cost
savings experienced, cannot be ignored. The partnership developed between the McShin
Foundation and the Caroline County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and the
Commonwealth Attorney Tony Spencer is a unique one. The CCRCP provides results
and numbers on paper, but more importantly it saves lives.
To view or download the full study, visit www.SarahScarbrough.com/research.
The study, Caroline County Recovery Community Program: A Cost-Benefit Analysis and
Examination of Effectiveness, was conducted by Sarah Scarbrough, who holds a doctorate degree in public policy from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her degree has a concentration in criminal justice. Her research specializes in the examination of programs related to the criminal justice system, recidivism, re-entry and substance abuse.