The University of Cincinnati is using several analytic approaches to assess the impact of changes to juvenile placement policies and practices in Ohio on case and youth outcomes, community safety, and costs. The research team will study a random sample of cases that were processed through state institutional facilities, community correction facilities, and community diversion programming over an 8-year period (2008-2015) to:

• Identify and assess the impact of an initiative designed to reduce rates of institutional placement, focusing specifically on recidivism and receipt of treatment.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of community-based placements and treatments as alternatives to institutional placement.

Additionally, the research team will use publicly available data and agency records aggregated at the state and county-levels during the same time period to:

• Assess the impact of the initiative to reduce institutional placement in regards to community-level juvenile crime rates at state and local levels.
• Evaluate the cost benefit of these initiatives that reduce institutional placement in the juvenile justice system at the state and local levels.

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