Dive Brief:

• A new study by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation has found that investing in pre-K opportunities could not only save taxpayers thousands but reduce crime rates.
• According to "Cost Savings of School Readiness Per Additional At-Risk Child in Detroit and Michigan," Detroit taxpayers would save an estimated $96,000 for every child enrolled in an early education program.
• The report's lead author, Jose Diaz, explained to the Detroit News that an early education helps kids get on a good track, and, along with law enforcement officials, is calling on the Michigan to invest more in pre-K.

Dive Insight:

Basically, it's a lot cheaper to provide early-education services than it is to imprison a person. Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon weighed in on the study, telling the Detroit News, "We've tried everything, and my jails are still bursting at the seams. It's time to realize we can't arrest and prosecute our way out of this problem." According to Napoleon, the "tough on crime" approach isn't cutting it and many of the issues he deals with stem from a lack of education, as only 4% of prisoners under 20 years old have a high school diploma.

The study came to its cost saving conclusions by adding up the numbers that would be saved on special education, child care subsidies, public assistance, the criminal justice system, and crime victims (among others) if pre-K initiatives existed.

This is one of many recent studies touting the benefits of early education. A few weeks ago, three Duke researchers also released a report that found universal pre-K programs can reduce costs for states by bringing down the number of students later placed in special education programs.