Presentation to: California State Association of Counties’
Administration of Justice Policy Committee
November 19, 2013
District Attorney Nancy O’Malley Alameda County
Brian Lee, J.D.Deputy State Director
www.fightcrime.org/ca
Who We Are
• Membership organization comprised of 400 Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, District Attorneys and Violence Survivors in California
• Part of a National Organization with Over 5,000 Members
Our Mission
• Take a hard look at the research
• Find what really works to keep kids in school, off the streets and away from crime
• Share information about evidenced-based crime-prevention strategies with policymakers, the media, and the general public
Issues We Work On
• Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention
• Early Childhood Education
• After-School Programs
• Interventions for Troubled Kids
• High School Dropout Prevention
In California …
• 174,746 violent crimes committed annually
• 133,000 incarcerated adults• $11 billion spent each year
to incarcerate adults in prisons/jails
• 7 out of 10 prisoners do not have high school diploma
Quality Preschool Increases Graduation Rates
Schweinhart, et al., 2004
By Age 40, Percent of Children Who Have
Graduated High School
Schweinhart, et al., 1993
Chronic lawbreakersat age 27
By Age 27, Children Not in Preschool Were Five Times
More Likely to Commit Violent Crimes
By Age 18, Children Not in Preschool Were 70% More Likely to Commit Violent
CrimesAn arrest for violence
by age 18
Reynolds, et al., 2001
Quality Preschool Saves Money
Schweinhart, et al., 2004
For every $1 invested in the High/Scope Perry Preschool program
Over $16 was saved
Proposed Federal-State Partnership
• $75 billion every year to lock up criminals vs. $75 billion over 10 years for quality early education & care
• 2 million more high school graduates, including 260,000 in California over 10 years.
• $75 billion in cost savings
Policy Landscape
• State: $171 million cut from state preschool over last 5 years; $25 million reinstated by Governor in 2013
• State: Transitional kindergarten for older 4-year-olds
• Federal: Strong Start for America’s Future (Harkin-Miller-Hanna bill)
Questions & Answers
For additional information or copies of our research reports, please contact:
Brian Lee
Meghan Moroney [email protected]