Investing in youth, education, and community spaces is essential for both boosting the economy and making communities safer and more stable. Increasing educational attainment decreases the likelihood of future incarceration. Improving school quality reduces the probability of serious crimes and incarceration. And increasing investments in counselors, social-emotional learning, and wraparound services—while reducing the use of school police—will help end the school-to-prison pipeline while helping every child succeed. There are numerous studies exemplifying the variety of investments in youth, education, and community spaces that make communities safer spaces for everyone. 

Programs to support students’ social and emotional well-being have been found to reduce total arrests by as much as 35 percent, violent crime arrests by as much as 50 percent, and, for program youth in juvenile detention facilities, recidivism by 21 percent. A recent study looked at the effects of a change in Michigan law that increased spending on schools in low-income areas, focusing on students who experienced the increase in elementary school. The resulting decrease in adult crime rates was so large that the law ended up saving the state money overall.  Robust research shows that correctional education programs are one of our most effective ways to reduce recidivism and increase employment opportunities upon reentry.

Socioeconomic segregation of schools has been found to increase violent crime, suggesting that promoting more diverse and integrated schools could reduce violence. Youth-focused sports and therapy programming can reduce the likelihood of future arrests for a violent crime by 50 percent. High-quality afterschool programs have broadly positive impacts for children. By providing a safe space that promotes students’ health and development, these programs can reduce drug use and decrease arrests and other forms of criminal-legal involvement among children.

Programs focused on wraparound education services in high risk areas have been shown to reduce juvenile arrests as well as child abuse cases.  Research also shows that high school graduation rates are generally associated with positive public safety outcomes and lower crime rates for communities. Early childhood intervention programs, as well as nutrition programs for newborns, are likely to reduce crime.

In short, investing in the next generation is one of the most important ways that communities can promote safety, not just today, but for years to come.

To implement community safety-focused programs, jurisdictions must have an adequate supply of peers and professionals who can provide voluntary, non-coercive services that support physical and mental health—and allow appropriate staffing for non-carceral crisis response and similar programs. Expanding access to basic health care has been found to reduce crime, as well as save money on legal system expenses. Research demonstrates that when the number of treatment facilities for substance use disorder increases, crime decreases in the same area. Expanded access to mental health treatment, and psychiatric treatment in particular, has been found to reduce violent crime. 

This effect is especially powerful when looking at youth. Increasing wraparound services in schools that treat physical and mental health in high risk areas have been shown to reduce juvenile arrests as well as child abuse cases. High quality afterschool programs that promote students’ health and development can reduce drug use and decrease arrests and other forms of criminal-legal involvement among children. Furthermore, early childhood intervention programs, as well as nutrition programs for newborns, are likely to reduce crime. Expanded access to mental health treatment, and to psychiatric treatment in particular, has also been found to reduce violent crime. 

Community safety cannot succeed without a robust, well-trained workforce of mental health and treatment professionals—not only because these services can reduce violence and harm, but also because physical and mental health are vitally important for safety itself. For too long, this country has taken a punishment and enforcement approach to how we address mental health, substance use, and related issues; the following investments, paired with further public health-centered policy changes, are a first step toward changing this paradigm. 

Over the years, evidence has shown that programs of violence prevention and non-carceral crisis response dramatically improve community safety—even though they have received far less funding than traditional criminal-legal approaches. 80 percent of gender-based violence survivors report being somewhat or extremely afraid to call the police during a crisis. And yet, many non-police crisis responders have been highly successful at stemming violence. A study of Safe Streets, a Baltimore non-carceral “violence interruption” program, found that its outreach workers reduced serious violence by 69 percent. And robust research has shown that violence prevention programs in schools significantly reduce violent behavior. 

When someone is in crisis or otherwise vulnerable, jurisdictions should have trained professionals who are available to answer these calls and defuse dangerous situations. As this evidence shows, people in crisis need a helping hand, not a gun, to access the support that will help them avoid further harm