The School-to-Prison Pipeline
“In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunities of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right that must be made available on equal terms.”
- Chief Justice Earl Warren, Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Whether you're in preschool or high school, why do school system support disciplinary action that resemble policing rather than teaching? The statistics don't lie, the "school-to-prison" pipeline is indeed real. What exactly is the "school-to-prison pipeline"? Rolling Stone says it's when "a student's behavior is criminalized, children are treated like prisoners and, all too often, actually end up behind bars. "How are students treated like criminals?" you may ask. Well it can take several forms: metal detectors, school police officers, drug-sniffing dogs, locker checks, "Zero-Tolerance policies", etc.
The following video goes into greater detail about what exactly causes the "school-to-prison" pipeline. The narrator explains 5 facts:
1. Disciplinary policies in schools are often the first step.
2. Schools have become increasingly overzealous in their arrest-making.
3. Standardized testing has become a breeding ground for unfair practices.
4. The juvenile justice system is not focused on rehabilitation.
5. Minorities and those with learning disabilities are at risk.
1. Disciplinary policies in schools are often the first step.
2. Schools have become increasingly overzealous in their arrest-making.
3. Standardized testing has become a breeding ground for unfair practices.
4. The juvenile justice system is not focused on rehabilitation.
5. Minorities and those with learning disabilities are at risk.
The following infographic further depicts the "school to prison pipeline" as well as the "foster care to prison pipeline".
The following infographic from the 2004-2005 school year shows that Black students were disciplined at a much higher rate than students of other race. Interesting fact: over the last decade, the suspension rate has more than doubled, from less than 29,000 in 2001 to nearly 70,000 in 2011. Moreover, Black students, who make up less than a third of total public school students (29 percent), served half (50 percent) of all 2010-11 suspensions.
Possible Solutions
The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) suggested possible solutions to the "school-to-prison pipeline" in their 2013 report A, B, C, D, STPP: How School Discipline Feeds the School-to-Prison Pipeline (2013).
The NYCLU proposed the following solutions:
Infographic Source
PBS Infographic
The NYCLU proposed the following solutions:
- Close loopholes in the Student Safety Act to improve public disclosure of comprehensive data on school suspensions and law enforcement activity.
- Eliminate zero tolerance in the discipline code and in practice.
- End the criminalization of school discipline.
- Ensure adequate training for police personnel who work in the schools.
- Inform parents and students of their rights, and honor due process and special education protections.
- Implement positive behavioral supports in all schools, and train all adults in each building.
Infographic Source
PBS Infographic