Research note: Using cost-benefit analysis to measure rehabilitation and special deterrence

How should rehabilitation and special deterrence be measured? Although they affect offenders differently, both rehabilitation and special deterrence should reduce the criminal activity of offenders following intervention. The same measure, therefore, can be used to estimate both. The measure should compare the number of crimes committed before and after intervention, as well as the seriousness, or cost, of the crimes. The measure should be robust to various assumptions that affect these estimates. Economists have developed a methodology, cost-benefit analysis, that is well suited to such a measure.

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