The following article about a new research brief by the Justice Policy
Institute appeared in this week's PEN NewsBlast. This is another
reminder of the importance of education.

 

EDUCATION INVESTMENTS LOWER RATES OF VIOLENT CRIME & INCARCERATION The
Justice Policy Institute led off their four-part research brief series
with a bang, announcing that states which invest more money in both
their K-12 and higher education systems have lower rates of violent
crimes and incarceration, and likewise save billions in crime-related
expenses. The brief notes that increased graduation rates have a
significant impact on public safety, as a five percent increase in males
graduating from high school produces almost $5 billion dollars in
savings on crime-related expenses.  Additionally, states that are able
to get students farther along the educational pipeline had lower crime
rates than the national average. Similarly, states with higher college
enrollment rates experienced less violent crimes, and those states with
the biggest increased expenditures on higher education saw decreases in
violent crimes. Across the country, the difference between white and
minority students' educational opportunities are stark.  Consequently,
minority students are more likely to be incarcerated but also more
likely to face violent crimes in their daily lives. The next three
research briefs will focus on the effect housing, employment, and drug
treatment have on public safety and crime. 

http://www.justicepolicy.org/content.php?hmID=1811&smID=1581&ssmID=61

 

Gail J. Price

Multimedia Specialist

National Center for Family Literacy

325 W. Main Street, Suite 300

Louisville, KY 40202

gprice at famlit.org

502 584-1133, ext. 112

 

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