Pre-K Touted as Crime Fighter

Sheriffs in Minnesota urge state funding for preschool

In an effort to help close Minnesota’s achievement gap and prevent future crime, sheriffs from Hennepin, Ramsey, and Dakota counties called on Minnesota legislators to push for more preschool, as reported by Ricardo Lopez of the Star Tribune.

The sheriffs made their case at a local YWCA in Minneapolis, where they released a report that highlights how investing in preschool could reduce Minnesota’s prisoners by nearly 1,000 people each year and save $49 million per year in corrections costs.

We must make investments in early childhood education for Minnesota kids now to avoid paying far more for the cost of crime in the decades to come.

Rich Stanek, Hennepin County Sheriff

Sheriffs Rich Stanek, Tim Leslie, and Matt Bostrom also cited research showing that high-quality preschool programs can lower the likelihood that low-income children will be arrested for a violent crime before they turn 18.