As a venture investor who has invested in companies with proven approaches to improving student outcomes in Maryland and across the country, my job it is provide strong returns on the dollars I invest on behalf of my clients. My approach to public policy is driven by the same bottom line analysis: Where are the places to invest with the best ROI, or return on investment?
Based on research on the direct and indirect costs of incarcerating youth, and the poor outcomes we get as a result, if I were advising on the use of taxpayer dollars I would counsel in favor of diversifying dollars away from further investments in incarcerating youth, and toward more effective educational and community products and services.
New research from the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) shows that 33 states and jurisdictions â including Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia â pay more than $100,000 a year to confine just one child. The research also shows that the hundreds of thousands of dollars we pay for youth incarceration in this region are only the tip of the iceberg of what this approach costs all of us. Contrast this with the national average of $10,000 per year that states pay to educate a student.
[For more of this story, written by Mark Grovic, go to http://www.baltimoresun.com/ne...-20150104-story.html]
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