In the search for sustainable funding for corrections and social welfare, the concept of the social impact bond (SIB) is receiving a lot of attention. SIBs are one of several ways in which localities are seeking to connect performance to the availability of funding for services. This presentation will address the basic question of whether governments should be undertaking SIBs, the pros and cons of SIBs, and alternative approaches to achieving similar results. It will also explore experience with Maryland Opportunity Compacts, a mechanism created in 2005 that leverages initial philanthropic investments to fund alternative approaches to intractable social problems in exchange for a commitment from the government to provide a portion of resulting cost savings to sustain the services.

Presenter:
John Roman, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at the Justice Policy Center, the Executive Director of the District of Columbia Crime Policy Institute within the Urban Institute, and the Principal Investigator on BJA funded project to create a Blueprint for Implementation of SIBs in America.

Discussants:
Judy Greene, Principal, Justice Strategies
John Friedel, Deputy Director of Operations and Compact Development, Safe and Sound Campaign, Baltimore, MD
Marc Nicole, Budget Director, State of Maryland

Coffee and tea will be available at 8:30AM.