TRUMP: “We want all children to be able to break the cycle of poverty. … But to break the cycle of poverty, we must also break the cycle of violence.”
THE FACTS: A recent report by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU effectively squashed the popular theory that getting violent criminals off the street and locking massive amounts of people in jail reduces crime. In his quote, President Trump suggested that violence/crime is the root cause of poverty as opposed to discriminatory federal policies.
“At today’s high incarceration rates, continuing to incarcerate more people has almost no effect on reducing crime,” researchers wrote. The research also showed that crime continued to fall even after states cut their prison populations.
It indicated that when the federal government instead invests in jobs and policies to increase workers’ pay and boost families’ economic security, children and families experience improved outcomes in the long run. For instance, between 1959 and 1973, a strong economy, investments in family financial security and improved civil rights protections helped cut the U.S. poverty rate in half.
