Pay high-risk individuals to avoid crime?

The Washington, D.C., City Council on Feb. 2 unanimously approved a bill that would pay stipends to select high-risk residents to avoid criminal activity. The residents would be asked to fulfill obligations including behavioral therapy in order to be paid. The program is based on one in Richmond, Calif., which has been credited with reducing violent crime in that area. After a final vote scheduled for March 1, the bill will go to Mayor Muriel Bowser and then Congress.

The program would cover up to 200 people. Details about how much each individual could receive are not set, but the Richmond program offers up to $9,000 per year, according to an AP report.

The legislation, written by City Council member Kenyan McDuffie, is part of a broader initiative to reduce crime in the nation’s capital. Homicides in Washington, D.C., jumped more than 50% last year.