Maryland Pay for Success Anti-Recidivism Study

In January 2013, the Maryland Department of Legislative Services (DLS) published the findings of its review of the feasibility and potential benefits and risks of a PFS project for financing reentry programs for state prisoners.32 The review considered, among other things, whether a PFS project could generate cost savings for the state. In its review, DLS assumed that the PFS project would fund a pilot program to serve 1,250 participants over 5 years and reduce recidivism by 10 percent or 20 percent. DLS concluded that even if the pilot program reduced recidivism by 20 percent, that result would be insufficient to close a wing of a prison or an entire prison facility, which DLS stated are the largest cost savings associated with avoided reimprisonment. Therefore, the state would be unable to realize cost savings through the project. Maryland did not pursue a PFS project to finance reentry programs after the report was released.