MINNESOTA–South Metro Law Enforcement Leaders Say Early Learning Pays Off
Crime fighters release new report showing early education cuts crime, saves taxpayers dollars
PART OF A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Ted Eismeier, ted@fightcrime.org
Cell: 315-335-9222, Desk: 202-464-5350
LAKEVILLE, MINN. (April 27, 2011) Noting that Minnesota taxpayers are spending $465 million this year on corrections, south metro law enforcement leaders today called on state and federal lawmakers to support high-quality early education as a critical strategy to reduce crime, lower corrections costs and save taxpayers money.
Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom, Dakota County Sheriff Dave Bellows, Rice County Attorney Paul Beaumaster and Lakeville Chief of Police Thomas Vonhof signaled their support for early care and education during a visit to the New Horizon Academy in Lakeville on Tuesday. They read to children in the early learning program and discussed the value of early childhood education. The local law enforcement leaders are members of the national anti-crime organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, which is sponsoring the event as part of a national law enforcement campaign to promote support for high-quality early childhood education and care.
Citing a new research brief called Pay Now or Pay Much More Later, the law enforcement leaders said that investing in high-quality early care and education can help at-risk children in Minnesota succeed, significantly reduce the likelihood that they will commit crimes and save taxpayer dollars from reduced corrections costs.
Our support for early learning is about more than using common sense; its about dollars and cents. If we invest in early education programs now, well reduce the likelihood that at-risk kids will end up in jail or prison later at the taxpayers expense, County Attorney Backstrom said. We ask that our members of Congress and state legislators carefully examine the benefits of early childhood education.
While overall crime rates are decreasing in many jurisdictions, Minnesota will spend $465 million in 2011 on corrections. There were almost 10,000 adults locked up in either state or federal prisons in Minnesota as of Jan. 1, 2010. According to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Census Bureau, Minnesotas corrections spending increased by 400 percent between 1982 and 2008.
The brief cited a long-term study of Michigans Perry Preschool, which found that at-risk children who did not participate in the high-quality program were five times more likely to be chronic offenders by age 27 than children who did attend. Because of their increased involvement in crime, the children who did not attend were 86 percent more likely to be sentenced to jail or prison by the age of 40.
Law enforcement leaders also agree that funding for early childhood programs is a sound fiscal choice since quality early care and education programs actually save money in the long run. The Perry Preschool Program cut crime, welfare and other costs so much that it saved taxpayers an average of $180,000 for every child served, with the vast majority of the public savings coming from reduced crime costs alone.
Congress has the opportunity to improve these programs through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and other education initiatives that will help states to improve and increase access to high-quality early education. Sheriff Bellows and County Attorneys Backstrom and Beaumaster called on U.S. Rep. John Kline (MN-2), who chairs the House Education and the Workforce Committee, to support a shift from the current “K-12″ system to a model that focuses on early education to high school graduation.
Law enforcement leaders are urging Minnesotas Congressional delegation to protect federal funding for early care and education programs. More than 600 law enforcement leaders and crime survivors from all 50 states signed a letter this month urging Congress to maintain their support for early care and education programs.
Our escalating corrections costs are the price we pay for not making these early learning investments years ago, County Attorney Beaumaster said. We can arrest, prosecute and lock up criminals, but there is no substitute for getting in front of the problem by investing in the care and education of our youngest children.
No child is born destined to be a criminal offender. Research shows that we can set children on a better course through early childhood education, Sheriff Bellows said. Its a much better result for those individuals and the communities in which they live when they are contributing to the workforcenot our inmate population.
The event was sponsored by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, the national anti-crime organization of police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, other law enforcement leaders and violence survivors, with more than 140 in Minnesota and over 5,000 members nationwide.
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