Philadelphia DAs: Pre-K Would Be a Great Bet

Four district attorneys from the greater Philadelphia area got together with a group called Fight Crime: Invest In Kids to give a presentation on why Pennsylvania should consider investing in universal pre-kindergarten education for all children. Attending the presentation were District Attorneys Risa Ferman, Montgomery County; Seth Williams, Philadelphia; Jack Whelan, Delaware County; and Tom Hogan, Chester County.

An investment in early childhood education is a literal investment in the future.

The crux of the presentation was that taxpayers will save money by investing in children at a young age instead of paying for future imprisonment later. Pennsylvania spends $2 billion annually on prisons. That includes the costs of prosecuting defendants and locking them up in either county jails or state prisons. The report, accordingly, was entitled “We’re the Guys You Pay Later.” According to the study’s results, providing at-risk children with high-quality educational services is exactly the antidote. While there will always be a need to protect the public by locking away violent and dangerous criminals, doing so doesn’t get at the root of the crime problem. That’s why preventative measures are necessary.

The idea that pre-K is a great idea for children isn’t a new or original one. Many municipalities throughout the country have already instituted laws funding programs for children a year away from entering kindergarten. The state of Florida, for instance, pays for a half day of pre-K for all four year olds for a full school year.

It’s believed that state-funded pre-K could ultimately save Philadelphia citizens as much as $350 million in the future. A proposed bill would increase early childhood education funding by enough to fund pre-K for approximately 10% of the children identified as at-risk.