I live in Carson California, bordering Wilmington and Compton which are both infamous for it's long history of gang violence. The other day while walking around my campus, I was approached to sign a petition to increase punishment for gang violence. This got me thinking, is more spending towards prisons better then more money in schools. Harsher penalties of criminals would mean longer jail time for them, and that money would be taken from other public services such as highway management and education.
Can we really afford to take money from our schools, which are already over crowded and barely surviving off the funding they currently receive and put it towards housing criminals. No we can't afford it. Most of the criminals who would be affected by this bill would come from these underfunded schools and taking more funding away would just force more students into a life of crime.
What we must do to stop gang violence is to give more money to education. Increasing the funding in at risk schools would mean more educated students who understand the value of a human life. There is a maxim our government must learn, and that is "a mind is a terrible thing to waste" so give money to the schools where it's needed, to stop the violence of tomorrow.
The kids in gangs need help not prison.