The school-to-prison pipeline refers to the policies and practices that perpetuate the unjust criminalization of students, particularly those from marginalized communities. Harsh disciplinary policies, zero-tolerance approaches, and the over-policing of schools fuel this pipeline. Teachers need to step up, as they play a crucial role in creating a fair and inclusive learning environment where all students are treated equitably. If schools implement restorative justice practices, revise discipline policies, increase mental health and social services, and come together to eradicate these issues, we can diminish them and begin to move forward as a society.
In order to ensure the eradication of the school-to-prison pipeline, it’s requisite to understand its harmfulness when it comes to marginalized communities and how its inception gradually leads to generational curses. As the ACLU puts it, youths are being “funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal legal systems over minor infractions,” all because of zero-tolerance policies. Schools have embedded themselves in fabrications that entail “getting them ready for college” and “ensuring no tolerance on misdemeanors” when really all it’s doing is imposing severe punishments that set them up for failure. Under these policies, students have been suspended for chewing gum, talking back, or even expelled for bringing nail clippers or scissors. Such unnecessary reactions have only resulted in Black students having suspension rates of more than 30% when about 15% of K-12 public school students are Black (USA Facts, 2023).
There are those who harbor the belief that just because they’re being suspended doesn’t mean they’re being set up for failure. That’s erroneous. Suspended and expelled students are usually disregarded when it comes to ensuring they’re getting adequate education, which causes an increase in a student’s criminal justice system involvement and reduced educational attainment. Students are labeled as “troublemakers,” which results in a self-fulfilling prophecy. That description is being held up over students’ heads, and they begin to live up to these lowered expectations. Restorative justice practices are an alternative to traditional disciplinary actions. They implement practices that focus on repairing harm, resolving conflicts, and restoring relationships that emphasize that dialogue, empathy, and understanding foster a more positive school environment. Students engaging in mental health circles, promoting diversity, and having a reward system help foster a healthy school environment.
Some might even say suspending children is healthy as it removes “toxicity” from the learning environment. This is erroneous. Children being suspended are still children at the end of the day. There needs to be a better system for consequences and levels of those consequences. It’s completely unfair to let children miss days of education over a simple mistake, and according to OSSE.dc.gov, “Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child graduate from college and keep a job.” Missing days of school causes them to fall behind in their education, which then affects them in the long run.
The school-to-prison pipeline is also a source of generational curses. There is a plethora of Black children whose loquaciousness is being mistaken as hyperactivity or delinquency instead of recognizing the child’s skillfulness and eagerness to learn. According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare. These inequities compound over the years when Black children and adults are in school. Some of these inequities act as deceptive yet pervasive cultural messaging that African-American students are incapable of learning. The Wisconsin-based MacIver Institution for Public Policy suggests that critical race theory, in any form, goes far beyond self-inspection or the implementation of a new plan to ensure that no child is left behind; however, none of this is true. A significant number of children are left behind as, according to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 85% of all juvenile court systems are functionally low literate. These statistics show a pipeline through which inadequate education leads to prison.
The school-to-prison pipeline represents a grave injustice within our incarceration and education systems, perpetuating cycles of disadvantages. By advocating for policy reforms, implementing restorative justice practices, and providing mental health support, society can work together to dismantle this destructive pipeline. Only through concerted efforts and a commitment to equality and justice can we break the chains of the school-to-prison pipeline and create a brighter future for all our children.
