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COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE APPROPRIATIONS LETTER

July 7, 2006

Dear Senator:

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a national anti-crime organization of more than 3,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, district attorneys, and victims of violence who have come together to take a hard-nosed look at the research about what really works to keep kids from becoming criminals. The research confirms our members' experiences on the front lines in the fight against crime: federal juvenile delinquency prevention and intervention programs help keep kids on the right track in life and get kids who have already committed juvenile offenses back on the right track. Therefore, we urge you to ensure that the Fiscal Year 2007 Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill rejects the deep cuts to juvenile delinquency prevention and intervention programs that were proposed in the Administration's FY07 budget.

In mid-June, the FBI released its preliminary 2005 crime data, which showed the first one-year increase in violent crime in four years, including a nearly 5% increase in murders. All sizes of jurisdictions except the large cities saw increases in overall violent crime, and all sizes of jurisdictions except those with populations between 10,000 and 25,000 saw increases in murders. Areas with populations from 50,000-250,000 saw the largest increase in murders at 12.5% and cities with populations of 500,000 to one million experienced an 8.3% increase in overall violent crime and a 10% increase in robberies. For example, Arlington, TX, St. Louis, MO, and Kansas City, KS saw increases in violent crime of 25%, 20% and 15% respectively. In Louisville, KY violent crime has gone up by 19%, and Birmingham, AL has experienced an increase of 76% in murders. Criminal justice experts have cited a diversion of law enforcement resources to anti-terror efforts and reductions in funding for prevention and intervention programs as significant factors contributing to the increase.

Fortunately, through the support of grants from the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG), states and localities have been able to offer effective, research-proven interventions for juvenile offenders that reduce recidivism and save taxpayer money. For example, the Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST) program targets kids who are serious juvenile offenders by using an approach that addresses the multiple factors - in peer, school, neighborhood and especially family environments - that are related to delinquency. MST has been shown to reduce long-term rates of re-arrest by over 43% when properly implemented and is less expensive than other mental health and juvenile justice services like residential treatment and incarceration. MST therefore saves the public $2.64 for every dollar invested. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding, MST currently serves less than 10% of the serious offenders who would benefit from it. If JABG funding were eliminated, as proposed in the Administration's FY07 budget proposal, MST and similar programs would serve even fewer juvenile offenders. Fortunately, the House Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations Subcommittee restored JABG funding to last year's $50 million level.

States have also been implementing research-proven strategies to prevent kids from committing crimes in the first place. For example, Title V Delinquency Prevention Grants fund quality after-school programs that connect children to caring adults and provide constructive activities during the peak hours of juvenile crime from 3:00-6:00 PM. One study compared five housing projects without Boys & Girls Clubs to five receiving new clubs. At the beginning of the study, drug activity and vandalism were the same. But by the time the study ended, the projects without the programs had 50 percent more vandalism and scored 37 percent worse on drug activity. Unfortunately, funding for after-school programs is so limited that everyday more than 14 million kids go home from school to an empty house. Title V Grants provide funding for after-school programs like the Boys and Girls Clubs as well as a variety of other programs that include mentoring, tutoring, and drop-out, gang, and substance abuse prevention. The House SSJC Appropriations Subcommittee showed its commitment to these important programs by restoring the funding from $32 million in the President's proposal to the $65 million FY 06 level.

Overall, the Administration's proposed budget includes 43 percent less in overall juvenile delinquency prevention and intervention funding compared to FY06 levels, and reflects a more than two-thirds cut in that funding since 2002. Reducing investments in these research-proven approaches would put us all at greater risk of becoming victims of crime. We urge you to reject the Administration's proposed cuts to juvenile delinquency prevention and intervention programs and support enhanced investments in approaches that reduce crime, save money and save lives.

Sincerely,

David S. Kass
Executive Director

Miriam A. Rollin
Vice President