Hampden County Cost Breakdown

Methodology

Data Source

Cost estimates were based on data provided to the Special Commission on Correctional Funding by the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association for Fiscal Year 2019. The mission of the Special Commission was to “conduct a comprehensive study to evaluate and make recommendations regarding the appropriate level of funding for the department of correction and each sheriff’s department.” As part of this project, sheriff’s departments throughout the state were asked to provide line-item estimates for all programming made available at their facilities.

Program Selection

Our partners at Hampden identified the programs that they regarded as essential to the successful operation of the step-down program. Each program had two associated cost figures: annual salary costs and operating costs (not including employee salaries). Our partners at Hampden County identified 73 programs as being essential to the successful operation of a reentry program. 25 of these programs are statutorily required by the state of Massachusetts and include adult basic education, religious services, and English for speakers of other languages. 70 of the programs were available to individuals at any level of security in the facility (e.g. medium security and minimum security).

Cost Calculations

Each program was associated with a maximum capacity of individuals they could serve in a fiscal year. To determine the cost of providing an individual program to a cohort of 50 step-down participants we calculated 50 individuals as the percent of the program’s total capacity. For example, if a program had an annual capacity of 100 participants, a step-down cohort of 50 would account for 50% of this capacity. This figure was then used to recalculate operating costs and the time cost of full-time employees (in this example, the annual operating and salary costs would be divided in half to estimate what it would cost to run the program for 50 step-down participants.

Given the overrepresentation of men in the criminal justice system, we limited the number of women participants to 10% of the cohort (women n=5; men n=45). We then calculated the percent of 2023 program service capacity that would be filled by eligible participants in the 50-person cohort. For example, if a program service has an annual capacity of 90 participants and served only men, the 45 men in the step-down cohort would account for 50% of this program service’s overall capacity. This figure was then used to recalculate operating costs and the salary costs of employees. While we recognize that the cost of programming per participant is likely not linear, and that this is an imperfect substitute for calculating the marginal cost of individuals as the number of participants grows, it was challenging for HCSO to provide more precise figures.

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Funding Disclaimer: This project was supported by the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice (Grant Number: 15PNIJ-21-GG-00138-NIJB). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Institute of Justice or the U.S. Department of Justice.