Scranton Area Law Enforcement Leaders: Pre-K Cuts Threaten Public Safety, Create Bigger Prison Bills Later

Sep 3rd 2009

SCRANTON, PA. (September 3, 2009) At a news conference today, Scranton Police Chief David Elliott and Lackawanna County First Assistant District Attorney Eugene Talerico announced their opposition to cutting Pennsylvania's Pre-K programs as a means of balancing the state budget.

Elliott and Talerico agreed that these cuts to early childhood education would provide false savings, ultimately generating more crime, violence and increasing prison costs in the years to come. The law enforcement leaders released a research brief explaining that high-quality early learning programs for at-risk children ages birth to five can significantly reduce crime and ultimately cut corrections costs by a quarter or more.

Currently in Pennsylvania, there are nearly 51,000-incarcerated adults in state prisons, costing the Commonwealth more than $1.8 billion every year. Chief Elliott and First Assistant District Attorney Talerico said that Pennsylvania could save about $450 million per year in taxpayer dollars if it cut prison costs by a quarter or more by fully investing in quality early learning for at-risk children.

With the state budget impasse and the uncertain future of state funding, it is clear that expanded federal support is needed in order to provide access to quality early-learning programs to Pennsylvania's at-risk children. This is why law enforcement is urging Senator Bob Casey to champion the Early Learning Challenge Fund-new proposed federal legislation that will provide $1 billion per year for states to expand and improve early childhood development initiatives for at-risk children ages birth to five.

"Pennsylvania must maintain and continue its investment in Pre-K Counts, Head Start and educational child care," said Chief Elliott. "It cuts crime and saves money. By giving at-risk young children early opportunities to learn and build a strong foundation, we can increase the likelihood that they will succeed in school and become well-adjusted adults, not tomorrow's criminals."

A long-term study of the high-quality Perry Preschool in Michigan found that by age 40, the kids left out of the program were 85 percent more likely to be sentenced to jail or prison. Another study detailed in the report showed that at-risk kids who did not attend Chicago's Child-Parent Centers were 24 percent more likely to be incarcerated than similar kids who did attend.

Chief Elliott also emphasized that with a struggling economy and tight budget, it does not make sense to pay room and board for career criminals year after year. State lock-up for one prisoner costs taxpayers about $35,000 a year. This is more expensive than a year's tuition, room, and board at Penn State University, which costs more than $23,000 a year. He stated that preventing people from turning to crime in the first place would save the public millions of dollars.

He also stressed the need to increase access to high-quality early learning opportunities to Pennsylvania's most at-risk kids. At the current level of state funding for quality early learning programs, even before the proposed cuts now being considered by state budget negotiators, there are still roughly 65% of Pennsylvania's at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds without access to quality early learning programs.

The new proposed federal Early Learning Challenge Fund will support early education programs, such as Head Start, Early Head Start, as well as state quality pre-kindergarten or child care, which offer constructive environments for the healthy growth and development of young children in the first five years of life.

The research shows that quality is essential to getting the crime and incarceration reduction benefits of early learning. The Early Learning Challenge Fund legislation will enable states to adopt best practices, including higher qualifications for teachers and caregivers. In addition, it encourages smaller class sizes; encourages early screening and referral to treatment for mental, emotional and behavioral problems; and supports parent coaching, which teaches at-risk families ways to promote their children's development.

"Early learning is a proven way to save scarce taxpayer dollars-something we can't afford to overlook with today's tight budgets," said Mr. Talerico. "If we invest in kids today, we'll have more money for education and economic development in the future, and we'll be building safer communities at the same time."

Chief Elliott and Mr. Talerico are members of FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS PENNSYLVANIA, an anti-crime organization led by 220 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and violence survivors. It is part of Washington, D.C.-based FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS, which has over 5,000 members nationwide.

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