Alaska’s evidence-based investment
ALASKA’S EVIDENCE-BASED INVESTMENT

It will take a while before we know whether Alaska’s new pretrial risk assessment tool will improve public safety and reduce criminal justice costs as intended. What we
do know, however, is that most of Alaska’s evidence-based adult criminal justice programs
are showing positive return on state investment of money. The Alaska Justice Information
Center’s (AJiC) Alaska Results First analysis not only shows the benefit to cost ratio — or monetary return on the state’s investment — it also provides tools for assessing
how changing the cost structure and delivery method can impact benefit to cost ratios
of current programs as well as providing benefit to cost ratio estimates for prospective
programs. An added benefit to the analysis — a new eight-year recidivism rate study.
As always, I encourage you to go online to read the Alaska Justice Forum where you will find the full AJiC Alaska Results First report as well as a video discussion of the new pretrial risk assessment tool.
Pamela Cravez
AlaskaJusticeForum@alaska.edu