Education and How It Correlates to a Higher Crime Rate
The United States of America has long been at a crossroads and furthermore a crisis in relation to crime and our criminal justice system. Crime rates are still considered high in our country and incarceration rates have skyrocketed. Many have speculated that the reason for these crimes and incarceration could be a combination of numerous factors to include background, mental health issues, upbringing, a lack of morality, and poor parenting. However, few ordinary citizens consider one of the most important factors of the crime rate, education. Education has a direct impact on the crime rate and the ability for our criminal justice system to rehabilitate offenders. By increasing the graduation rates in our nation and continuing to increase education reform and funding we can lower the crime rate and make our nation and communities a safer place to live.
Since the 1980s the United States government and both major parties have stood on platforms of being tough on crime and maintaining a war on drugs to stop the "epidemic" of crime and drugs. From Nancy Reagan's public service announcements and "just say no" campaigns to school programs such as DARE, and impassioned speeches such as Bill Clinton's "we are a nation of laws" address, crime has been a major focal point in politics and policy making for decades. However, incarceration and recidivism rates continue to climb. The punitive method of being harsh on criminals seems to have little to no effect on crime or actually rehabilitating offenders. Yet, we as a nation continue to push for and vote for these punishment first agendas. While the idea that harsh punishments may deter criminals makes sense on the surface, researchers and data show that to truly lower crime and recidivism, further effort must be made to increase education in our youth.
While policies have not shown otherwise, the idea that education helps lower crime rates is not a new idea. In 1975, Isaac Ehrlich wrote a dissertation in which he hypothesizes that the more education a person receives the less likely they are to commit crime. This idea was centered around first determining what causes crime or why criminals act they way they do. In the most simple of terms Ehrlich explains that it all comes down to incentives. As with almost anything else in life, crime can be broken down into the thought or idea of self-preservation or self-gratification. Simply put, if I want a new television, I can steal it and thus have it. However, if I am caught, I could end up in jail or have other negative consequences in life. If a person is educated, they may have the full ability and intelligence needed to fully weigh the pros and cons of stealing a television and realize the cons outweigh the pros. In addition, with education, a person is more likely to be employed and have disposable income and thus can just save to purchase the television instead of stealing it (Ehrlich).
Furthermore, those without a high school diploma are far more likely to be in poverty and have fewer opportunities to climb out of that poverty. With that in mind, many may see crime as an opportunity to better their lives instead of as a determinant to society and their own personal lives. At that point, the reward outweighs the risk of being caught. Again, the incentive of a better life is all anyone is looking for. Without education, individuals feel that the only way out is through a life a crime. Why work a minimum wage job and continue to forever live in poverty when I can make more money working for a criminal organization? Unfortunately, this is often a true statement as more money can be made through crime. However, through education, additional opportunities can be presented and thus the need for crime dissipates.
The issue with education being a true deterrent of crime is the delayed gratification of receiving those incentives. It takes much more work, time, and effort to obtain a diploma or degree. Even after receiving all of that education a person often still enters the job market in an entry level position and must work hard to advance in their careers. Instant gratification and the need to receive incentives instantly can cause a person to leave school and begin to commit crimes. However, research suggest and argue that the more education a person has the greater the ability they will also have to weigh future consequences and truly plan for their future (Criminal-Justice.iresearch.net).
Not only do individuals with higher education take the time to weigh future consequences, they learn through the process of planning, applying, working through, and completing a college education that planning for your future and delayed rewards can be worthwhile. College graduates know firsthand what a rewarding experience it can be to take the time to truly work hard for something. In doing so, these graduates learn to apply this to their daily lives and often think of the possible outcomes of their choices and actions. They also learn to look at the long pay off and work for those goals and incentives. As such, they are far less likely to commit crimes in the hopes of obtaining instant incentives.
Another reason that education can help in the lowering of the crime rate is the ability to keep youth occupied and engaged. The thought process of "boys will be boys" or that teens committing crimes are just bored is rooted in some truth. While it in no way is an excuse for the behavior nor should it be accepted as such, teens and young adults who are left to their own devices oftentimes find themselves in situations in which they have an opportunity to commit crime. Schools and educational programs give these youth an outlet and a way in which to engage with other youths in a productive and meaningful way. After school programs, clubs, and school sponsored sports allow young adults and youth a channel to burn their excess energy, need for belonging, and excitement. In this sense, not only is the education important, but rather the entire system and the opportunities for community engagement that schools provide (Bell, Costa and Machin).
Education plays a big part in lowering the crime rate of our nation. In March of 2004 researchers Lance Lochner and Eric Moretti gathered thousands of volumes of data from various different criminal databanks including those used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Using the data that they found they then cross referenced it with data from various different educational systems within the same area. What they found was that the higher the graduation rate in a given community, the lower the crime rate typically was within that same community. The two researchers then took their efforts another step forward when they created a logarithm or algebraic formula that shows the correlation between graduation rates and crime rates. With this formula they were able to hypothesize just how much the crime rate would decrease with each increase in graduation rates. They theorized that with just a ten-percentage point increase in graduation rates, murder and assault arrest rates could decrease by as much as 20 percent. In addition, motor vehicle theft could decrease by about 13 percent and arson could decrease by up to 8 percent (Lochner and Moretti). While these of course are just estimates about what could occur given an increase in graduation rates, it is backed by hard data that shows current and past trends of incarceration, arrests, and offenses perpetrated by those with and without high school diplomas.
Years later, in 2012, Lance Lochner would continue his research and team with Randi Hjalmarrson to look at the impact of education on crime rates from an international perspective and how the same principles could be applied in the United States. They first looked at an Italian study conducted from the years 1980 to 1995 in which graduation rates from secondary school increased by ten percentage points. During that time they discovered a decrease in property crimes by four percent and a decrease in overall crime by three percent. However, the completion of a university or college program seemed to have little to no effect on crime rates. (Hjalmarsson and Lochner)
Beyond just looking at data and statistics, Lochner and Hjalmarrson wanted to explain the effects and provide solutions. It was not enough to know that higher education and graduation rates decreased crime, they wanted to know why kids were not graduating and how to solve the problem. For this, they looked at a program that was piloted in the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2002. During this time many researchers within the United Kingdom theorized that youth who committed crime did so as they needed the money or were looking for items to steal or purchase that they could not afford. Further, they hypothesized that these same youth left school as their families needed money and they could only assist by dropping out to get a job and help pay for things. In an effort to combat this the government of the United Kingdom provided subsidies for students aged 16-18 who met lower income guidelines. In addition, they offered bonuses for completion of coursework and good grades. In addition to this program, another pilot program that was designed to reduce burglaries was also launched in many of the same areas. In places in which both programs existed, burglaries dropped by as much as 5.5 percent. In areas in which subsidies were given to students, the drop in burglaries were slightly lower, but still significant (Hjalmarsson and Lochner).
While this may not be a program that can be sully sustained in the United States, it shows that both poverty and education are important and have significant effects within the crime rate. In order to reduce crime, poverty must be lowered and education increased. The two can be accomplished together as numerous studies have shown that an increase in education helps to reduce poverty. This is due to the opportunities that education can create. This does not necessarily mean a typical four year college program is necessary in order to prevent or lower crime. Trade schools, continued adult education, or even just high school diplomas can lead to additional opportunities and a reduction in both poverty and crime.
This can easily be seen within our criminal justice system and the correctional and rehabilitation units within our nation. Each prison system in the United States has various different programs designed to rehabilitate offenders and return them back to the community as functional and safe members of society. Most of these programs revolve around mental health or education. These education programs can be typical general education diplomas (or GEDs) or college coursework through participating local colleges and universities. Nevertheless, these are not the only programs available that are considered education. Vocational education courses are also available in numerous prisons throughout the nation. For example, the Arizona Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation offers courses in wastewater treatment and management, electrian training, locksmithing, and upholstrey work. Education does not have to be limited to classroom core subjects and degrees. Certification programs offer new opportunities and abilities for offenders.
The success of thes programs can be seen nationwide. In 2003 researchers Stephen J. Steurer and Linda G. Smith looked at the recidivism rates in the states of Ohio, Minnesota, and Maryland. They then compared those rates to the grduation rates of these educational programs that were offered in each state's prisons. They discovered that for at least two states, Minnesota and Ohio, there were significantly lower rates of re-arrests, re-convictions, and re-incarcerations amongst those that participated in these programs as opposed to those who did not (Steurer and Smith). Even within our prison system, education lowers crime rates.
Even with all of the data that has been collected and the information that is readily available to the general public, few policy changes have been made. The reason being that there are still those who disagree with the assessment that a lack of education is the reason for increases in crime rates. Opponents look at mental health and a lack of true help for those suffering from serious mental illnesses. While this may be a factor, it is small in comparison to the issue of education. Many want to believe that only crazy people commit crimes. However, a vast majority of people who do commit crimes are quite sane. Another argument made is that it is actually upbringing and a lack of morals that lead to a life a crime. People will point to the educated who have committed crimes as proof that education is not a direct correlation. They even argue that some crimes, such as hacking, corporate espionage, pyramid schemes, and other white-collar and financial crimes actually require an extensive education or intellect (Criminal-Justice.iresearch.net). While there is some truth to these arguments, the crimes committed by educated individuals is a small portion of the total crime. These opponents look at a small slice of the pie while ignoring the bigger portions. The major issue still remains that it is far more likely that an uneducated individual will commit crime than someone with at least a high school diploma.
The next issue we face in changing our society for the better is actually applying the data we have gathered in regards to education and crime. It is obvious that education reform is desperately needed in order to reduce crime in our country. However, what policies need to be enacted in order to create this change. Many will argue that funding is a key issue. This definitely has merit as our nation's education system is vastly underfunded and one of the lowest funded within the developed world. Teachers are underpaid, supplies are broken or nonexistant, buildings are falling down, and the schools' workforce are all leaving. However, funding is not the only issue. For example, Baltimore City Public Schools have the third highest funding per student in the nation. However, even with this high funding crime rates are at an all-time high and graduation rates continue to drop (Orman). The solution is both funding and programs designed to help assist children stay in school, such as a reduction in standarized testing, more focus on individual learning plans and methods, and extra-curricular programs. In addition, subsidies for low income families may also be an option depending on the needs of the family and the availability of each local community to provide it.
Crime remains a major issue in our nation. For decades a punitive approach has been made to reduce crime and reduce incarceration. This approach has fallen short of it's goal and crime remains a major issue within our nation. Numerous studies and research has shown that increasing education and graduation rates will have a positive impact on crime rates. Furthermore, this theory has been tested and proven in other nations such as Italy and the United Kingdom. Within our own country, positive results can be seen with offenders who receive an education while incarcerated. They are far less likely to recommit or reoffend and return to our prison system. Yet, policies remain unchanged and the nation remains unmoved. Funding for education has reached all time lows as class sizes continued to climb due to a lack of educators and staff. Graduation rates continue to lower and with it, crime rates climb higher. It is time for true change and reform. Funding needs to be focused on the education of our youth. Furthermore, new after school programs, vocational studies, and clubs need to be created to keep our young people engaged and busy. Lastly, individualized educational plans and goals should be the center of our educational system. Trying to ensure that every child fits into the same box creates disdain, frustration, and encourages kids to drop out thus leading to the possibility of crime. These changes need to be made in order to ensure a safe, fully functioning, and profitable society.
Works Cited
Bell, Brian, Rui Costa and Stephen Machin. Why Education Reduces Crime
Criminal-Justice.iresearch.net. Education and Crime
Ehrlich, Isaac. "NBER." 1975. On the Relation Between Education and Crime. Dissertation
Hjalmarsson, Randi and Lance Lochner. "EconStor." Februrary 2012. The Impact of Education On Crime: International Evidence. Article
Lochner, Lance and Enrico Moretti. "Berkeley.Edu." March 2004. The Effect of Education on Crime: Evidence from Prison Inmates, Arrests, and Self-Reports. Article
Orman, Shelly. Looking at The Correlation Between Crime and Education. 28 May 2020. News Article
Steurer, Stephen J and Linda G Smith. "ERIC.ed.gov." Februrary 2003. Education Reduces Crime: Three-State Recidivism Study. Executive Summary. Data Summary