On Wednesday February 14th, 2018 at approximately 2:21pm, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and wounding 17 survivors. While many immediately pushed for gun control in the aftermath of this horrible mass slaughter, recent information has made a strong case for a different change in policy.

In 2011-2012, Broward County Public Schools had 1,056 total student arrests – 71% for misdemeanor offenses. These were the highest overall numbers in the state of Florida.

After concerns over “students of color, students with disabilities and LGBTQ students” being “disproportionately impacted by school-based arrests” – the PROMISE program was created in 2013. Standing for Preventing Recidivism through Opportunities, Mentoring, Interventions, Supports & Education – the PROMISE program was specifically implemented in an effort to “eliminate the school-to-prison pipeline.”

After the implementation of the PROMISE program, Broward County Public School arrests dropped from 1,056 students in 2011-2012, to only 392 during the 2015-2016 school year. Stefan Molyneux explains.