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IN THIS ISSUE:

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Time Served In State Prison, 2018

Victims of Identity Theft, 2018

Study Revealed Safe Harbor Laws Increased Protections for Sex-Trafficked Youth, Identified Needs for Agency Support and Judicial Training

Drug Misuse: Most States Have Good Samaritan Laws and Research Indicates They May Have Positive Effects

Body-Worn Cameras in Policing: Benefits and Costs


EDUCATION

Highlights of School-Level Finance Data: Selected Findings from the School-Level Finance Survey: School Years 2015-16 (Fiscal Year16) and 2016-17 (Fiscal Year 17)

Trends in Postsecondary Education

Feasible Implementation Strategies for Improving Vocabulary Knowledge of High-Risk Preschoolers: Results From a Cluster-Randomized Trial

Bridging the Digital Divide: Lessons from COVID-19


GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Homeownership in the United States: 2005 to 2019

COVID-19 – Emergency Management Tips and Practices for Bus Transit Systems

Serving Youth Remotely: Strategies for Practitioners


HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES

Medical Debt and its Impacts on Health and Wealth: What Can Philanthropy Do to Help?

Supporting Families with Young Children: Using Existing Services During the Pandemic

Association of Child and Family Attributes With Outcomes in Children With Autism



April 9, 2021

Criminal_Justice
CRIMINAL JUSTICE

This report presents findings on the time served by prisoners released from state prison in 2018. It describes the mean and median length of time served by most serious offense and the percentage of sentence served by offense before initial release from state prison. Findings are based on data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Corrections Reporting Program, which is an annual voluntary data collection of administrative records on individual prisoners submitted by state departments of corrections. Highlights from the report include: 1) the average time served by state prisoners released in 2018, from initial admission to initial release, was 2.7 years, and the median time served was 1.3 years; 2) persons released from state prison in 2018 served an average of 44% of their maximum sentence length before their initial release; 3) state prisoners serving time for rape and initially released in 2018 served an average of 68% of their sentence, and those serving time for murder served an average of 58% of their sentence; and 4) persons serving less than one year in state prison represented 42% of first releases in 2018.

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice

In 2018, an estimated 23 million persons, or about 9% of all United States residents age 16 or older, reported that they had been victims of identity theft during the prior 12 months. Five percent of residents age 16 or older had experienced at least one incident involving the misuse of an existing credit card, and 4% had experienced the misuse of an existing bank account. One percent reported the misuse of their personal information to open a new account. Less than 1% had experienced the misuse of their personal information for other fraudulent purposes, such as for getting medical care, a job, or governmental benefits. For 90% of identity-theft victims, the most recent incident involved only the misuse or attempted misuse of at least one type of existing account, such as a credit card or bank account. Monetary losses across all incidents of identity theft totaled $15.1 billion in 2018. Among victims who resolved the financial and credit problems associated with their identity theft, more than half (55%) did so in 1 day or less. An estimated 7% of identity-theft victims reported the crime to police, and 88% contacted a credit card company or bank. Half of all victims of identity theft (51%) were in households with incomes of $75,000 or more.

Source: Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

Kentucky’s Human Trafficking Victims’ Rights Act, passed in 2013, includes safe harbor legislation for sex-trafficked minors that mandates state agencies must develop a coordinated plan to deliver comprehensive care and to serve and protect victims. A University of Kentucky study on the impact of its state safe harbor laws showed that justice-involved children were more likely to be screened for sex trafficking and to be offered victim services, and were less likely to be criminally charged. However, agency personnel and juvenile and family court judges interviewed for the study raised concerns about the legislation, including the added workload placed on already overwhelmed child welfare personnel. To improve court response to potential youth victims of sex trafficking, juvenile and family court judges offered the following suggestions during their interviews and in their survey responses: (1) Empower judges to extend case time limits to ensure continuity of care or judicial oversight of youth during sex trafficking cases; (2) Appoint a guardian ad litem or Friend of the Court for youth victims; (3) Specialize court processes and protocols for suspected sex trafficking victims and offer targeted training of court personnel; (4) Provide incentives for innovative service delivery to sex-trafficked youth; and (5) Address the problem at the source through prompt investigations of youth sex traffickers and buyers.

Source: Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

The Office of National Drug Control Policy has taken multiple actions to track, study, and share information about Good Samaritan laws, which protect individuals who call for medical assistance for an overdose victim, and Naloxone Access laws, which protect individuals who administer the opioid-reversal drug naloxone. The authors found that 48 jurisdictions (47 states and D.C.) have enacted both Good Samaritan and Naloxone Access laws. Kansas, Texas and Wyoming do not have a Good Samaritan law for drug overdoses but have a Naloxone Access law. Florida has both a Good Samaritan law and Naloxone Access law. The authors also found that the laws vary. For example, Good Samaritan laws vary in the types of drug offenses that are exempt from prosecution and whether this immunity takes effect before an individual is arrested or charged, or after these events but before trial. The authors found that prior studies suggest lower rates of opioid-related overdose deaths among states that have enacted Good Samaritan laws, both compared to death rates prior to a law's enactment and death rates in states without such laws. In addition, studies found an increased likelihood of individuals calling 911 if they are aware of the laws. However, findings also suggest that awareness of Good Samaritan laws may vary substantially across jurisdictions among both law enforcement officers and the public, which could affect their willingness to call 911.

Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office

Body-worn cameras are an increasingly common tool for police oversight, accountability, and transparency, yet there remains uncertainty about their impacts on policing outcomes. This paper reviews what is known about the benefits of body-worn cameras and how those benefits compare to the costs of this new technology. The authors make two contributions relative to existing research. First, they update prior meta-analyses of studies of the impacts of body-worn cameras on policing outcomes to incorporate the most recent, and largest, studies carried out to date in this literature. This additional information provides additional support for the idea that cameras may affect a number of policing outcomes that are important from a social welfare perspective, particularly police use of force. Second, they carry out a benefit-cost analysis of body-worn cameras, as financial barriers are often cited as a key impediment to adoption by police departments. The authors’ baseline estimate for the benefit-cost ratio of body-worn camera is 4.95. Perhaps as much as one-quarter of the estimated benefits accrue to government budgets directly, which suggests the possibility that this technology could, from the narrow perspective of government budgets, even pay for itself.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research

Education
EDUCATION

This statistical analysis report presents key findings and other data highlights from the National Center for Education Statistics School-Level Finance Survey in school years 2015-16 and 2016-17. The report focuses on the completeness and comparability of survey data and how the survey can be used to evaluate differences in resource allocation (as measured by school-level expenditures) across schools, school districts, and states. The report finds that the majority of states participating in the survey are able to report school-level expenditure data requested by the survey for a high percentage of their schools. The survey can be used to evaluate and compare the variability of school-level expenditure data within states and across school districts. It may also be used to evaluate school-level expenditure data by various descriptive school characteristics (such as charter school status and urban verses rural locations). In addition, the survey allows data users to evaluate and compare school-level expenditures by school poverty indicators such as Title I eligibility and school neighborhood income-to-poverty ratio. For Fiscal Year 2017, median teacher salaries ranged from a low of $41,257 in Oklahoma to a high of $78,723 in Rhode Island in the 11 states (not including Florida) that met reporting standards for reporting teacher salaries.

Source: National Center for Educational Statistics, U.S. Department of Education

In recent decades, the nature of work has changed in ways that previous generations would likely not have imagined. With few exceptions, well-paying jobs increasingly require higher-level analytical or social skills, or both, while jobs that demand largely physical or manual skills are fading in importance. It is no surprise, then, that education has become an increasingly important pathway to the middle class in the past 50 years. Indeed, many recent studies show that adults with high school diplomas and college degrees are more likely to be employed and have higher incomes than their peers with less education. Education levels across America have been increasing since the 1970s, including growth in high school and postsecondary education attainment. The fraction of 25- to 29-year-olds who completed high school increased from 75% in 1970 to 94% in 2019. The costs of college attendance have been increasing across most types of institutions. Between 1990 and 2020, average tuition and fees, when adjusted for inflation, more than doubled. This happened not only at private non-profit four-year colleges, but also at public two-year and four-year colleges. Between 2009 and 2019, average institutional grant aid for two- and four-year students increased by 33% ($2,430), offsetting some of the increase in tuition and fees. However, other forms of financial aid fell over this period, including federal loans and the value of Pell grants. Low state appropriations for postsecondary education may be an important contributor to rising costs and low completion rates. State appropriations per student fell across public four-year and two-year colleges between 2000 and 2012, with a particularly sharp decline during the Great Recession. Far less is known about how enrollment in non-degree credential programs has changed over time. Attainment of occupational licenses and work certifications have only very recently been systematically measured in surveys, making it challenging to look at trends.

Source: RAND Corporation

Many children begin school with limited vocabularies, placing them at a high risk of academic difficulties. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of a vocabulary intervention program, Story Friends, designed to improve vocabulary knowledge of at-risk preschool children. Children in the treatment classrooms learned significantly more words than children in the comparison classrooms, who learned few target words based on exposure. Large effect sizes were evident as the treatment group averaged 42% vocabulary knowledge versus 11% in the comparison group, despite a gradual decline in vocabulary learning by the treatment group over the school year. Findings indicate that a carefully designed vocabulary intervention can produce substantial gains in children's vocabulary knowledge. The Story Friends program is feasible for delivery in early childhood classrooms and effective in teaching challenging vocabulary to high-risk preschoolers.

Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

The digital divide, digital equity, and digital accessibility are not new concerns in higher education, but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many institutions to confront these issues head-on with renewed efforts and innovative strategies. This report helps to uncover the factors that underlie these evolving divides and discover how institutions can continue to promote student success as they implement extensive, remote-learning programs. With in-depth analysis and data, readers may gain critical advice and best practices from experts, administrators, instructors and students who share the long-term changes needed in policy and practice to bridge these gaps. Report topics include national data and analysis of the 2020-2021 postsecondary enrollment, evidence-based instructional practices that have been demonstrated to improve student satisfaction and success, and the financial implications of remote learning expenses, laptop shortages and the price of internet access.

Source: Inside Higher Ed

Government Operations
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

The homeownership rate in the United States, measured as the percentage of the nation’s occupied housing units that are owner-occupied units, has experienced substantial change over the last 15 years. This report provides information on homeownership in the United States from 2005 to 2019 using household-level data from the American Community Survey at the national, state, and county levels. The data show that the national homeownership rate was among the highest of the 15-year period during 2005 to 2009, when the rate was about 66% to 67%, but by 2010 it had declined to 65.4%. This coincides with the first full calendar year after the Great Recession, an economic downturn coupled with a crash in the housing market that took place from 2007 to 2009. By 2015, the homeownership rate was among the lowest of the 15-year period, with 63.0% of households living in owner-occupied units, about a 4.2 percentage-point drop from the 2007 rate. In 2019, the most recent year of data, 64.1% of households were homeowners, up from 63.0% in 2015 but still well below the peak years of 2005 to 2009. The states with among the largest decreases in homeownership from 2009 to 2014 include Arizona (6.0%), Nevada (5.7%), Georgia (4.8%), Rhode Island (4.6%), and Florida (4.4%). When comparing the 2005–2009 5-year estimate to the 2010–2014 5-year estimate 38 of the 67 counties in Florida showed statistically significant declines in homeownership.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Florida Department of Transportation and the Center for Urban Transportation Research recognized the need to provide transit agencies with guidance to help them effectively respond to this crisis. This document is a compilation of tips, strategies, and practices that other public transit across the country have implemented to help reduce the risk of being infected and/or spreading the COVID-19 virus. Additionally, it is pertinent to include mitigation strategies and updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local emergency operations centers, and industry associations, such as the National Rural Transit Assistance Program, Community Transportation Association of America, and the American Public Transportation Association. Many of the actions and practices listed may help prevent the spread of the virus and may offer protections to people who are not infected. Guidance includes that transit agencies should make every effort to source supplies locally and/or through their agency process first, then through their local EOC before elevating the request to the State. This resource guide provides vendor information relating to purchasing equipment, cleaning supplies as well as other materials that may be difficult to obtain during a pandemic. In addition, transit agencies should consider performing a hazard risk analysis and assessments of any temporary or permanent changes, additions or modifications to transit facilities, vehicles or procedures during times of emergencies. Performing this task will ensure new hazards are not inadvertently introduced as a result of implementing a mitigation. Some examples of these may include: installing temporary barriers or shields, blocking seats or areas within a facility, transit vehicle or terminal, and policy changes that may introduce a new hazard.

Source: Florida Department of Transportation

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges for young people and staff at youth-serving organizations that provide education and training, employment, and mental health services. Challenges are more pronounced for youth who may lack access to digital devices and conducive learning environments or who must balance program participation, work, and family responsibilities. This resource guide for practitioners describes creative strategies that youth-serving organizations have used to provide remote services while prioritizing equity. Recommendations include 1) leverage funding and resources from grants and city or community-based initiatives to provide technology and Wi-Fi access to program participants; 2) ensure access to spaces that are conducive to learning; 3) use creative approaches (such as providing bus tokens, clothing, or gift cards) to obtain resources and supports to address basic needs; 4) provide support for successful technology use (such as matching youth with “tech buddies”) and 5) adjust expectations of program staff to be mindful of young peoples’ barriers to successful engagement.

Source: Urban Institute

Health and Human Services
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Seventy-nine million Americans struggle to pay their medical bills or are paying off medical debt. This report examines three key factors driving medical debt: 1) insufficient insurance coverage; 2) the unpredictability of medical emergencies; and 3) high out-of-pocket expenses for health care. The U.S. has 14 states, including Georgia and Texas, where medical debt in collections exceeds 20%. Philanthropic support could be used to 1) fund efforts to ensure patients can accesses health care without financial stress and debt; 2) support efforts to expand outreach to ensure those eligible for public health insurance are aware of those benefits; and 3) work with advocates to support the adoption of eligibility standards for health care financial assistance and transparency of those standards at the hospital-system, city, county, or state level.

Source: Aspen Institute

During this pandemic, families have been dealing with numerous sources of stress–including unemployment, strains on financial resources, and higher levels of anxiety and depression from living in a time of fear and uncertainty. Young children in poverty are much more likely to live in households where the experience of these stressors is chronic and more severe, independent of the COVID pandemic. Children’s developing brains and their future health may be negatively affected by growing up in these conditions. State program administrators can help parents manage these stressors by strengthening existing services like home visiting and creating new avenues for reaching previously uncontacted families with unmet needs through their pediatric visits. These recommendations are based on the existing evidence of promising strategies, as well as insights from work with programs that serve the nation’s youngest children. Program administrators can investigate pediatric-based platforms as a means of reaching new families and can adapt evidence-based forms of support, like using behavioral science or investing in more specialized approaches. Programs’ extra efforts to reach and engage parents may help families in need survive, and ultimately thrive during this unprecedented time.

Source: MDRC

The prevalence and attributes of positive outcomes (or doing well) among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mid-childhood are not well known. The purpose of this study is to estimate the prevalence of doing well according to metrics of proficiency and growth and to investigate the extent to which significant associations exist between child- and family-level variables and doing well. Key outcome domains of developmental health included measures of socialization, communication, independent living skills, and measures of internalizing and externalizing behaviors. This longitudinal cohort study included children with ASD from regional clinics across Canada. Participants were sampled three times between ages 2 and 4.9 years and twice in follow-up into middle childhood. Data were analyzed March 2018 through January 2020. This cohort study found that a substantial proportion of children with ASD were doing well by middle childhood in at least one key domain of developmental health, and that doing well was possible even in the context of continuing to meet criteria for ASD. These results support a strengths-based approach to treatment planning that should include robust support for families to increase the potential likelihood of doing well later in life.

Source: JAMA Network Open


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GOVERNMENT PROGRAM SUMMARIES (GPS)
Government Program Summaries (GPS) is a free resource for legislators and the public that provides descriptive information on over 200 state government programs. To provide fiscal data, GPS links to Transparency Florida, the Legislature's website that includes continually updated information on the state's operating budget and daily expenditures by state agencies.

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