Those are worthy — and urgent — goals. With juvenile crime rates surging and teen mental health a critical concern, policymakers hope these schemes can help set America’s youths on a better path. But achieving so much is a tall order for any policy, and summer youth employment programs are often hampered by unclear priorities and inconsistent financing.
Now, many local governments, bolstered by funding from the American Rescue Plan, are making new investments in summer jobs programs. If those resources are spent effectively, cities and counties could revitalize summers to provide young people — particularly from low-income and marginalized backgrounds — with lasting gains.
Crime and violence prevention
As summer jobs initiatives have risen to prominence nationally, there is a growing body of research evaluating their impacts. Many of the studies have been run by researchers affiliated with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, with one consistent takeaway: These programs can help prevent participants from being pulled into the criminal justice system, particularly for violent crimes.
In New York City — which uses a lottery system, allowing for a randomized evaluation — participation was linked to a lower likelihood of incarceration and mortality, especially related to homicide. Programs in Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia were also linked to decreases in arrests or arraignments for violence crimes.