We believe by keeping kids in school we can drastically reduce violent crime in our community. In a recent study, researchers found that dropouts are more than 8 times as likely to be incarcerated as those that graduated. Raising graduation rates by 10 % has been shown to reduce the murder and assault rates by about 20%. And 68% of inmates nationwide do not have high school diplomas. In a California study, researchers found that by cutting the dropout rate by 50% would reduce juvenile crime and save the State over $550 million dollars per year.
The studies that link truancy and crime are a matter of common sense. A kid that drops out of schools has less job opportunities and is more likely to be in trouble with the law. Ask any teacher or a police officer and they will all tell you that kids that do not attend school are the ones who are most likely to be committing the serious crimes in our community.