Why Should You Invest in ATC

     America is falling behind the curve in technical trades because most high schools have eliminated this type of training. This is especially true in neighborhoods where unemployment and high school drop out rates are both high. Without these important skills many youth and young adults fall into despair that they cannot get ahead, leading many to resort to crime or an indifferent attitude towards work and learning.

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ATC’s program is an essential part of turning the tide against the dangerous cycle of crime and poverty.

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     “Dropping out of school does not automatically result in a life of crime, but high school dropouts are far more likely than high school graduates to be arrested or incarcerated,” – Former Governor of West Virginia – Bob Wise

• 55% of Georgia’s inmates have not received a high school diploma

• Yearly cost to incarcerate a juvenile offender – $91,126

• Yearly cost to incarcerate an adult offender – $21,039

• Recidivism rate – 30%

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     The above statistics are alarming and appalling. Georgia has the 5th largest prison budget in the country at 1.1 billion dollars annually. Additionally, the total cost of crime to the taxpayer is hundreds of millions of dollars beyond the prison budget when law enforcement, legal, victim and property damage costs are taken into account.

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     ATC focuses on males between the ages of 15-24 because they are the demographic most likely to commit crimes. Many of them have dropped out of high school and will either work low-wage jobs and/or be incarcerated, neither of which is valuable to the taxpayer. Low-wage earners typically need government assistance to supplement their incomes.

 

     However, there is a solution to this systemic problem. The State of Georgia enacted measures in 2012 and 2013 to divert youth and adults from entering the justice system. The measures were taken because once an individual has entered the system they are more likely to continue to commit crimes versus if they had never entered. A recidivism rate of 30% means that once released from prison 1 in 3 offenders will return to prison within three years. When the high school dropout rate of 28% per year is added to the recidivism rate it is easy to see why Georgia’s prison population has more than doubled over the last 25 years.

Not every person that has entered the justice system will become a career criminal or pose a long time risk to public safety once they have been released. However, it is very clear that once caught in the system it is very difficult for someone to become successful without assistance. ATC is the assistance that individuals need if they have been through the justice system or are at risk of entering

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Return on Investment

     The cycle of poverty is a bleak and daunting problem. However, when an individual is mentored with positive behavior and activity the results are amazing. The cost to the taxpayer turns from the red into the black. The upfront investment to send an individual to high school and possibly state college is minuscule, when compared to the costs of incarceration. Then the divergence is basically incomparable because they become a contributing taxpayer and not a burden to the state; a consumer who creates tax revenue rather than depleting it.

• Average national earnings of a high school graduate – $30,000-$35,000

• Average national earnings of a college graduate – $50,000

• Yearly taxpayer cost of a high school student – $9,000-$10,000

• Tuition & fees at Georgia State University – $10,686

*All cost are for Georgia unless otherwise noted

 

     The truth is that there just are not enough social services dedicated to the prevention and restoration of troubled young men. Please partner with us to combat this epidemic.

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