Benton Co. Law Enforcement To Cantwell: Health Reform A Crime Prevention Opportunity
May 27th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Laura Wells, State Director
Cell: (425) 444-0285
lwells@fightcrime.org
KENNEWICK, WASH. (May 27, 2009) -- Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Andy Miller, Sheriff Larry Taylor and Kennewick Chief Ken Hohenberg met with U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell today to discuss opportunities to prevent crime and reduce child abuse and neglect.
They urged Cantwell to support health care reform that includes proven crime prevention components, such as voluntary home-visiting programs for at-risk families, substance abuse treatment for pregnant women and appropriate mental health treatment for troubled youth. Cantwell is a key member of the Senate Finance Committee, which is currently drafting legislation to revamp the nation’s health care system.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Providing better health care for kids will help them avoid problems that lead to crime, making our communities and families safer,” Miller said.
Hohenberg said that providing voluntary home visits to at-risk families prevents child abuse, thus reducing later crime. While most children who experience maltreatment lead normal lives, survivors of abuse and neglect are significantly more likely to commit crimes in adulthood.
“Violence breeds violence. If kids are abused, it has an impact on how they act later in life. We need to make sure that kids get a safe and healthy start to life, so they don’t end up in the criminal justice system later on,” Hohenberg said.
Home-visiting programs send trained workers to help expectant mothers and new parents learn about the health and development needs of young children and coach them to avoid abusive behavior.
A study of one home-visiting program, the Nurse-Family Partnership, found that mothers who received the visits were half as likely to abuse or neglect their children, compared to those who did not benefit. Children whose families received the visits were also 60 percent less likely to be arrested by the time the child reached age 15 than kids whose mothers did not participate.
Taylor said that appropriate mental health screening and treatment is another avenue to prevent crime through health reform. Although not all youth with untreated mental health problems become criminals, young people with untreated mental health issues are more likely to get in trouble and jeopardize public safety. Unfortunately, 8 in 10 kids in need of mental health services don’t receive them.
Mental health interventions can help troubled kids who have already committed offenses get back on track. These interventions work individually with kids to change their behavior and with their parents to more effectively address problem behavior.
Youths who participated in one such program, Functional Family Therapy, were half as likely to be re-arrested as the youth whose families did not receive the intervention, saving the taxpayer an average of $32,000 per youth treated.
“As a sheriff, I know that there are many instances where early mental health treatment could have helped a young person with behavioral problems steer clear of crime. These interventions nip delinquency in the bud and save taxpayers far more than they cost,” Taylor said.
The law enforcement leaders also said that that health care legislation should cover pregnant women, with benefits that include treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. Pregnant mothers that abuse drugs or alcohol have a higher chance of delivering a child with brain damage. Complications caused by this substance abuse increase the risk that a child will have long-term psychological problems and commit crimes later in life.
Hohenberg, Taylor and Miller urged Cantwell to ensure that health care reform include support for home-visiting, mental health screening and treatment, and substance abuse treatment for pregnant women in order to keep Washington’s communities safe for years to come.
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