Bad schools, bad polices and police fuel The school to prison pipeline It is estimated that 3.3 million children annually are expelled or suspended for violent or nonviolent offenses while attending school. The majority of the offenses are nonviolent offenses that are handled just as harshly as violent school infractions due to zero tolerance laws. This essay will show how zero tolerance laws, bad schools and policing in schools is failing millions of minority students and fueling the school to prison pipeline. The school to prison pipeline, according to the National Civil Liberties Union “refers to policies and practices that push our nations school children, especially at-risk minority black and Latino students, out of classrooms and into …show more content…
Since the implementation of zero tolerance policy and the war on drugs policies the u.s.prison ncarceration rates have risen from roughly 500,000 to 3.3 million people incarcerated in u.s. prisons. 61percent of those incarcerated are black men 3. Zero tolerance laws initially were introduced as a means to discipline drug offenses of students while attending school. Due to increased gang violence, the policy spread nationwide after the 1994 signing of the “Gun Free Schools Act” where zero tolerance policies were coupled with the mandated reporting of a student to the police if they are carrying a gun or acting violence to other students or school …show more content…
Students being removed from the school due to police involvmenet in removing them, may also face possible criminal charges being filed against them, for infracttionsas minimal as non-prescription drug possession or being accused of sexual harassment as mentiond previously , happened to a student for hugging a teacher as a form of solidarity. Sexual harrsamentcharges that if prosecuted can lead to a student being labeled and listed as a sex offender for life. Egregious non-violent offenses that disproportionately affect black and Latino students, and due to law enforcement modeling, sets the stage for incarceration. The aforementioned are example of student trauma, that can lead to further bad behavior and many harshly repeated reprimands targeted toward so-called problem students, for minor infractions that use mean a visit to the principal’s office or staying after
This decision makes it clear the most important thing for a school to do is to protect the students. It also states that the board of education, whose role is to oversee the schools, must make sure that the staff of the schools is protecting those children. This case highlights that long-term abuse can happen in schools if there are not clear policies or, if there are, that there is no one ensuring that those policies are
The Zero-tolerance policy was originally developed in the 1980s to target the booming drug trade by the U.S. Customs Agency (Martinez, 2009). The policy was later adopted in public schools as a response to the perception that juvenile violence was increasing and the need for school officials to take desperate measures to address the problem of violence. School officials became increasingly concerned about the use of drugs and the increasing involvement of gang activity among students. The horrific shooting at the Columbine High School only further solidified the fears of school safety among students and staff (Curtis, 2014). The Zero-tolerance policy assumes that removing students who engage in disruptive behavior will deter others from disruption and create an improved climate for those who remain (American Psychologist, 2008). The U.S. educational system has implemented a policy and philosophy, which was intended to deter drug criminals to be rendered as a disciplinary tool for students.
...a clear definition for what the school-to-prison pipeline is and why it continues to exist. I see the issues that have proceeded because of this policy. The research gives me an advantage of providing the unconstitutional wrongdoings. This is not an issue just morally wrong, it is unjust. Literature provides me with information on why courts are not taking action as well as possible solutions to endure without depending on legislators to take actions. The school-to-prison pipeline has a direct target and the literature also contributes information on who that target group is and why they are so easily targeted.
The article reviewed serves as a compliment to the research on school policies and its connection to the juvenile court, and how the school-to-prison pipeline has been created. The research article is “Education or Incarceration: Zero Tolerance Policies and the School to Prison Pipeline”. The theme focuses on the flourishing trend in public schools across America that criminalizes students’ minor disciplinary issues as a part of the emerging “zero tolerance” disciplinary policies and the factors that come along with it. This article separates itself from others by noting the influence of media on today’s youth and adults. The influence of media on youth and adults shines light on violence, stereotypes and provides insight on why mass incarceration is occurring so steadfastly. Throughout the article it is evident that the effects from zero tolerance policies are negative. People continue to question the use because no impact on school safety has been detected from the use of these disciplinary guidelines. From this research and other similar research, many authors have concluded that ...
The school is to protect the students from any wrong doing towards them. Such act, parents, school official and other authorities will be contacted. The case in Oakland County MI, opens many eyes for students and parents. The school board has responsibility to report such harm. This is not taken lightly, serious offense. Students could face years in prison, or face felonies.
Gabbard’s (2013) application of zero tolerance policies goes hand in hand with this phenomenon known as the school-to-prison pipeline (STPP). Archer (2009:868) defines the STPP as “the collection of education and public safety policies and practices that push our nation’s schoolchildren out of the classroom and into the streets, the juvenile justice system, or the criminal justice system.” When Fowler (2011:16) studied the STPP, they concluded that “...the single greatest predictor of future involvement in the juvenile system is a history of disciplinary referrals at school.” Because of its huge predictor of criminality, this is a serious issue that must be analyzed to prevent a catastrophic and vicious cycle that forces society’s children out of school, int...
Suspended children are missing out on valuable school time. These children often miss out on important exams and assignments. “Many of these children are missing out on the education their schools are providing, and they are learning far worse lessons away from those schools” (Henault 548).
Many people believe that there is a direct correlation between the education system and the criminal justice system in the United States. This may seem surprising to some, but research indicates that both poor education, specifically literacy rates among young students, and poorly administered discipline can be directly linked to an increase in imprisonment toward certain students. This is the subject matter of two separate articles: The Relationship Between Incarceration and Low Literacy by Troy at Literacy Mid-South, and The School-to-Prison Pipeline by Marilyn Elias.
The school to prison pipeline is a phenomenon that refers to the practices and policies that have pushed school children, especially the most at-risk children, out of classrooms and into the juvenile justice system. This disturbing occurrence indicates the prioritization of incarceration over the education of children. Most alarmingly, many of the children being targeted have learning disabilities or histories of poverty, abuse or neglect. Instead of being targeted, these children would much rather benefit from additional counseling and educational services. Moreover, the knowledge acquired in this course will be incorporated in this paper and used to explain the points made. In this term paper, what will be discussed is the expansion of the zero tolerance policy, the different views on the policy, who is mostly targeted, the effects on the juveniles and any alternative solutions that could diminish this dismaying occurrence for becoming a larger problem.
As time progresses, our country’s agenda alters according to what issue is seemingly more important than another at that specific time. An issue that has been considered for far too long is a notion regarding the American education system and its connection to mass incarceration. The supposed link between education and incarceration is commonly referred to as the “school to prison pipeline”. Although African Americans are only 13% of the United States population, they account for almost 38% of the inmates in American prison systems. The overrepresentation of African American people in the American prison system displays the obvious injustice. The school to prison pipeline is the practice of repeatedly over punishing children for minor offense
The school to prison pipeline is the act of schools not setting kids up for success straight out of school they are most like to end up in
The school to prison pipeline is a caused by disciplinary acts that push students out of schools and into the criminal justice system. These “zero tolerance policies” are the cause of the incrimination of students with disabilities and racial minorities. Instead of correcting minor behavior, students are often suspended or even expelled. It seems wrong to keep students from school rather than punishing them in a way that makes them want to do better. These punishments have a huge effect on minorities, the poor, and disabled students. Minorities make up more than half of the suspensions per year in United States schools. Instead of being
In today’s society mainly anyone growing up in poverty stricken communities, single parent homes, domestic violence or infested and drug infested areas are at risk to being abducted by the school to prison pipeline. The school to prison pipeline is a system designed for at risk teens that do not do well in school. The effect is them being thrown in jail. Economically the black and the Latino community constantly after generation and generation are getting dealt the same hand because each child in the new generation is growing up in a broken home and are falling victim to the same problems that the generation before them have faced. By compiling annual reports on the total number of disciplinary
Khadaroo, Teicher. “School suspensions: Does racial bias feed the school-to-prison pipeline?” The Christian Science Monitor., March 31, 2013. Web. May 3, 2014.
As students civil rights revolution evolved, and the increase of these rights emerged, parents and students, began to question, undermine, and challenge school disciplinary practices in court with the help of lawyers in the public’s interest. The timeframe for drastic school discipline changes began around 1969. The Supreme Court ruled how...