Dropout rates fuel violent crime

State Director of the Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Program, Bruce Clash, says there is a correlation between high school dropout rates and incarceration rates. Dropouts are 3.5 times more likely to be arrested than graduates, and eight times more likely to be incarcerated. By increasing graduation rates by 10 percentage points, it is estimated that 150 murders and almost six thousand assaults will be prevented in Pennsylvania annually. By supporting strong pre-kindergarten programs shown to increase graduation rates, it also supports preventing future crimes. Clash says it's better to expose these things to vulnerable children early on.