Overview

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Map of Utah

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Overview

Overview

This site examines trends in jail bookings and related charges in Davis County Jail, overall and through the lens of its newly introduced Jail Diversion program between 2018 and 2020. The user can navigate the site by using the “MENU” button located at the top. The first tab provides general information on trends in bookings and charges while the 2nd tab analyzes these trends, comparing volumes in jail booking between law enforcement agencies that could refer to the new diversion program to those where referral opportunities were yet made available. Subsequent tabs offers a cost analysis, takeaways and specifics about the data.





A map of Utah highlighting Davis county's geographical location (use the +/- sign to zoom in/out).

Definitions

Definitions

  • Booking: A booking to Davis County jail that occurred between January 2018 and July 2020
  • Charge: An individual charge associated with a booking
  • Drug booking: A booking that had at least 1 drug charge as defined by the NCIC code: 35XX
  • Treatment Group: Bookings from agencies that could refer to the Davis County diversion program starting in December 2019 and March 2020
  • Control Group: Bookings from agencies where referring an individual to the Davis County jail diversion program was not available until July 2020

Statistical Analysis

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Statistical Analysis

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The difference-in-difference (DID) framework

  • Commonly used to study policy and program effects, the difference-in-difference (DID) framework compares the performance of a treatment and one or more control groups, before and after a new policy or program is introduced.

  • By comparing the volume of jail bookings made by law enforcement agencies that had the option to refer individuals to the new diversion program to those were program referrals was yet to be available, we find no evidence of an adverse public safety effect.

  • Specifically, we find evidence that the program may have "avoided" ~230 bookings, including ~90 drug related bookings and ~450 charges that were associated with these bookings after the program was introduced.

Cost Analysis

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Cost Analysis

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How do we Compare Costs?

  • We compare the per client cost of the jail diversion path to a more traditional criminal justice path focusing on tangible expenditures only. These costs include expenditures of the Davis County Diversion program, expected post treatment costs, jail time, and lost earnings while held in jail.

  • The estimated (per client) cost for the two different paths measure at $7,200 and $19,637 respectively, a net difference of $12,437 less for when the jail diversion path is pursued.

Summary & Takeaways

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Summary & Takeaways

Introduced in December of 2019, the Davis county jail diversion program aims to provide an alternative to traditional arrest or citation for adults who have engaged in certain lower level drug crimes and misdemeanor offenses. Instead of traditional paths, the program allows for referral to appropriate treatment services with the goal of avoiding the stigmatizing and often costly criminal justice track. Critics of jail diversion programs argue that public safety will be compromised as individuals offered treatment in the community now have the opportunity to commit similar and even more severe crimes. As such, we pose the question if there is evidence that the Davis County jail diversion program has had an adverse effect on public safety, as defined as increases in the volume and characteristics of jail bookings through time.

  • Study Method: A simple difference-in-difference approach is utilized to account for general time trends to estimate a treatment effect for booking volumes made by law enforcement agencies that could refer to the program (the treatment group) to law enforcement agencies where referral opportunities were yet made available (the control group).

  • Defining Public Saftey: We define public safety in 3 distinct ways: the volume of total jail bookings, drug related jail bookings, and the volume of charges associated with these bookings before and after program roll-out by law enforcement agencies referral type.

  • Preliminary Takeaways: We find no evidence that the Davis county jail diversion program has a negative impact on public safety when public safety is defined as either increases in the volume of total jail bookings, drug related jail bookings or the number of charges associated with these bookings after program roll-out. Preliminary cost analysis suggests that the program is effective in regards to reduced bookings within the county.


Link to Full Report Here.

Data Table

Data Table