Thank you, witnesses.
I'm certain everyone here shares the goal you expressed, Mr. Foord, that we want fewer victims. We may differ on what's going to work.
In my previous careers, if you couldn't measure it, you couldn't manage it. Sometimes we seem to be shadowboxing, as Mr. Gilhooly pointed out, in that the statistics and evidence out there aren't reliable, or not worth a damn. How do we determine what's effective?
I'd like to start with the folks from CoSA. You started out with a statistic that Mr. Gilhooly didn't put much stock in. If I heard you correctly, the rate of recidivism for those who go through your program is 80% less than that of the general population.
You also said that federal funding for your program has been cut. Do you know why? Is it because there is evidence that counters that 80% number? Is it because they need to balance the budget? Is it because a longer sentence is a better solution?