Juvenile Justice: How to Calculate the Cost of ArrestWednesday, January 9, 2013 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST

Photo: Richard Ross

• Leads a national movement• State-based juvenile justice

coalitions and organizations (42 members in 33 states)

• Laws, policies and practices that are fair, equitable and developmentally appropriate for all children, youth and families

Cathy Conly Director of the Fiscal Policy Center

Julius Chaidez Fiscal Policy Associate

NJJN Fiscal Policy Center

• The FPC provides reformers with fiscal tools and resources to improve juvenile justice policy in their own states.

We offer the following types of assistance:• Technical assistance with state legislation and fiscal

notes.• Trainings in budget analysis and related

communications messaging.• Resources on developing issues in fiscal policy.• Toolkits and reports to master the latest challenges in

juvenile justice funding.

About the Fiscal Policy Center

• Budget shortfalls have intensified policymakers’ interest in crafting cost-effective policies for youth in trouble with the law.

• Determining the costs at each stage of the juvenile justice process is a critical part of these efforts.

• This toolkit focuses on calculating costs at the point of arrest, a youth’s first official contact with the justice system.

Calculating the Cost of Arrest

1. Locate budget information. 2. Calculate an officer’s average hourly

rate.3. Determine the number of hours per

arrest. 4. Estimate the cost of arrest.

Overview

Determine which law enforcement agency or agencies (i.e., state, county, or city) are responsible for making arrests in the jurisdiction under consideration.

Step 1: Locate Budget Information

Search for the Budget Data

• Look for salaries, benefits, support, and overhead costs.

• These costs make up the total personnel costs for calculating an officer’s average hourly rate.

• Several budget categories—Actual, Estimated, Requested—may be shown.

Step 2: ID Law Enforcement Costs

LA County Sheriff Budget: Total Costs

This information may be identified in the budget document as:

• Budgeted Positions • Authorized Positions• FTEs (Full-Time Equivalents)

Step 3: ID the # of Full-time Employees

The total number of full-time employees in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (18,347 in FY 2009-10) is listed at the bottom of the “Actual” budget column, next to “Budgeted Positions.”

• Contact your local law enforcement agency’s public information officer or community liaison officer.

• Contact your state’s “juvenile justice specialist.” Go to http://www.juvjustice.org/states.html.

• Contact your local public defender’s office.

• Look at cost-benefit or program reports prepared by a state administering agency (e.g., Office of Accountability, Office of Operations) or non-profit/academic research institutions that might have gathered data on arrests in your state or locality.

Step 4: Average Hours to Arrest a Youth

Step 5: Do the Math

Select the “Gross Total” and “Budgeted Positions (FTEs)” line items from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s budget summary.(Recall that the “Gross Total” represents the sum of salaries, benefits, support costs and overhead costs.)

Los Angeles Sheriff’s Budget Summary:Gross Total = $2,520,656,278Budgeted Positions (FTEs) = 18,347

Start: Total Salaries & Budgeted Positions

Divide: Law Enforcement Salaries, Benefits, Support and

Overhead Costs By Number of Budgeted Positions (FTEs)

or$2,520,656,278

18,347Equals:

= $137,387 average yearly salary, with supports, for one officer

Then: Calculate Average Yearly Salary

Divide the average yearly salary by the number of work hours during the year to determine the average cost per hour of a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officer’s time.

Divide:Average Yearly Salary: $137,387

Hours in a Full-Time Yearor

$137,3872,080 hours

Equals:= $66.00 per hour

Next: Calculate Average Hourly Wage

Multiply the officer’s hourly rate by the hour(s) needed to process an arrest. If applicable, add any additional processing fees, routine fees (e.g., fees for booking or lab tests). The final sum is the cost of an individual arrest.

Multiply:Officer’s Hourly Rate x Hour(s) to Process Arrest:

$66.00 x 6 hours = $396+

Additional Routine Fees (e.g., Booking Fee, shown here)

$500

$396 + $500Equals: = $896 per arrest

The final cost—$896 —represents the average cost of an arrest of one youth by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Last: Calculate the Cost of Arrest

Knowing the cost of arrest can help reformers demonstrate how wiser spending often goes hand-in-hand with more humane, effective, and developmentally appropriate responses to youth crime.

Conclusion

Julius C. Chaidez202-467-0864 x129 chaidez@juvjustice.org

Cathy Conly202-467-0864 x126conly@juvjustice.org

Questions?

Fiscal Policy CenterNational Juvenile Justice Network1319 F Street, NW, Suite 402Washington, D.C. 20004www.njjn.org