Juvenile Justice News
High School Dropouts Cost California More Than $1 Billion
High school dropouts, who are more likely to commit crimes than their peers with diplomas, add $1.1 billion annually to California's juvenile justice costs, according to a study by the California Dropout Research Project at University of California at Santa Barbara.
The study found that cutting the dropout rate in half would prevent 30,000 juvenile crimes and save $550 million every year.
"This study demonstrates the immediate impact dropouts have on both public safety and the economy," said project director Russell W. Rumberger.
"If California could reduce the dropout rate, it could subsequently reduce the juvenile crime rate and its staggering impact on the state budget."
Additional findings include:
- High school dropouts are twice as likely to commit crimes as high school graduates.
- Dropouts from a single cohort of California 12-year-olds will generate $1.1 billion in economic losses from juvenile crime and $10.5 billion in economic losses from adult crime over their lifetimes.
- Savings from reductions in juvenile crime would help offset the costs of effective programs to reduce dropouts.
"The connection between dropping out of school and juvenile crime is very clear," said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer, quoted in the Los Angeles Times.
"The simple fact is if kids aren't in school, they're much more likely to be on the streets causing trouble, engaging in criminal activities such as burglary, thefts, graffiti and arsons."
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