To the editor:
Across the state of Maine, students are going back to school, and our hopes for their success in school and life go with them. But many of them won't make it through high school, creating problems for themselves, for their families, and often for law enforcement. The cold, hard truth is that high school dropouts are more likely to turn to crime.
A recent report released by Fight Crime: Invest In Kids shows that high school dropouts are three and a half times more likely than high school graduates to be arrested, and more than eight times more likely to be incarcerated. Nationwide, 68 percent of state prison inmates have not received a high school diploma.
The dropout crisis threatens the safety of all Mainers. Statewide, about two out of ten high school students fail to graduate from high school on time.
While staying in school even one year longer reduces the likelihood that a youngster will turn to crime, graduating from high school has a truly dramatic impact. History has shown that as graduation rates go up, violent crimes decrease. A study by two prominent economists found that a 10 percentage point increase in graduation rates would reduce murder and assault rates by about 20 percent, preventing more than 20 murders and over 900 aggravated assaults in Maine every five years.
High-quality early education is the most widely adopted and effective school reform proven to increase graduation rates.
Law enforcement leaders support early education because research shows that it prevents crime. A long term study of the Perry preschool in Michigan showed that by age 27, at-risk three and four-year-olds left out of the program were five times more likely to be chronic law breakers than similar children who attended the program. Children left out of another high-quality program in Chicago were 70 percent more likely to have been arrested for a violent crime by age 18, compared to those who participated.
As it stands, many children eligible for these quality programs aren’t enrolled. Currently in Maine, 83 percent of its 3-year-olds and 59 percent of its 4-year-olds are not enrolled in state pre-k programs, Head Start, or early childhood special education programs.
In addition to the public safety threat, high dropout rates sap the strength of our economy. Lacking basic education and professional skills, dropouts earn less, pay fewer taxes, and are more likely to turn to crime instead of gainful employment.
Reducing dropouts will not only save lives, it will also save money. If Maine could raise male graduation rates by 10 percent, the state would save approximately $29 million dollars every year, including almost $6 million in reduced crime costs alone.
Maine needs to make greater investments in early education so we can prevent crime and violence before it happens and save taxpayer dollars. We have the means and motivation to prevent dropouts. We should commit to quality early childhood education so more kids end up in graduation gowns, not orange jumpsuits.
Caribou Chief of Police
