Sydney Martinez, Campus Carrier opinions editor
Many incoming first-year students have read Just Mercy, a powerful book by Bryan Stevenson on the stories of wrongly commended individuals and the systemic issues that lead to such injustices. In Just Mercy Stevenson briefly focuses on two children who grew up in impoverished conditions – abusive households, cities with high rates of unemployment, poverty and crime with some of the worst-ranked public school systems around. Their lives, shaped by neglect and lack of opportunity, serve as a reminder of how poverty and underfunded education systems can trap some individuals in cycles of crime and injustice.
This raises a critical question: Is there a link between underfunded education and higher crime rates? Evidence suggests there is.
According to Aaron R. Winston, “For every 1000 people in Rome, Georgia, 100.75 crimes are reported to the city’s law enforcement annually.” “How can this be reduced?” you may ask. One critical answer is improving the education system through increasing funding in classrooms and social programs.
Of the many things local governments could implement to reduce crime rates, one of the most effective long-term solutions is early investment in public schools and social programs such as student organizations.
Some argue that the best way to reduce crime is by increasing law enforcement presence or implementing harsher punishments. While these approaches may offer short-term results, they fail to address the root causes of criminal behavior, exposure to poverty, crime and lack of support at home. Instead, investing in student organizations can offer students a sense of community, belonging and purpose. These programs can teach young students valuable skills such as conflict resolution.
A study conducted by E. Jason Baron, Joshua Hyman, and Brittany Vasquez, deduced that “Students who attended better-funded schools were 15% less likely to be arrested through age 30.” This statistic shows that when students have access to better resources, such as an increased funding in their education and social programs, at the most critical time of their lives – adolescence – they are less likely to engage in criminal activity.
But why does this happen? Schools that receive more funding often have smaller class sizes, more experienced teachers and access to after-school programs, all of which create a support network for students.
Additionally, as stated by Carmel Martin, Ulrich Boser and Meg Benner, “When states invest in their public schools and create more equitable school finances systems, student achievement levels rise, and the positive effects are even greater among low-income students.” This further supports the fact that students can achieve better when they receive the attention and resources they need in order to decrease the rate of crime.
On the other hand, schools in underfunded districts often lack the means to support students sufficiently, leaving them more vulnerable to hardships that may lead them down the wrong path. If we provide young people with the support, opportunities, and education they need, we can help them avoid pitfalls that lead to crime.
Improving schools is not just an educational concern but a collective action problem that must be and can be easily addressed by government officials to decrease crime rates.
This problem did not arise out of nowhere, it has been a persistent national problem since the 1970s. Instead of pouring funds into the law enforcement or prison systems, investing in education and social programs can prevent crime starting at an early age. It is within our own best interest to advocate for children in underfunded schools or lack the ability to advocate for themselves.
As mentioned in Just Mercy, the impoverished conditions of children in broken systems deprive them of opportunities for growth, stability and success. If we want to see a decrease in crime, we as students must advocate for increased funding for our education and social programs.