Report | February 25, 2015

Why Montana Should Make Early Investments in Kids

Montana is one of only five states without state funding for pre-K. But investing in early education means less crime later

Montana currently spends $185 million every year on corrections to incarcerate 2,400 criminals. The average cost to taxpayers for one year in prison for the average inmate is more than $30,000. Nearly 80% of inmates in Montana are high school dropouts. See a connection?

One of the best ways to keep young people from dropping out of school and becoming criminals is to make sure they have a solid foundation for success in their earliest years. This report documents the crime prevention case for pre-K in Montana, citing research showing that high-quality pre-K can cut future crime in half or more. Montana is one of only five states without state funding for pre-K.

The law enforcement leaders of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids think that Montana should saddle up and invest in what works to prevent crime.

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  1. Crime Prevention
  2. Preschool

States

  1. Montana