The School-to-Prison Pipeline

Submitted by Matt on Sun, 2013-06-09 14:39

Article here. Excerpt:

'School officials across the country responded to a surge in juvenile crime during the 1980s and the Columbine High School shootings a decade later by tightening disciplinary policies and increasing the number of police patrolling public schools. One unfortunate result has been the creation of a repressive environment in which young people are suspended, expelled or even arrested over minor misbehaviors — like talking back or disrupting class — that would once have been handled by the principal.

The policies have not made schools safer. However, by criminalizing routine disciplinary problems, they have damaged the lives of many children by making them more likely to drop out and entangling them, sometimes permanently, in the criminal justice system. The policies are also discriminatory: black and Hispanic children are shipped off to court more frequently than white students who commit similar infractions.'

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Yes, since the vast majority of kids funneled into this so-called pipeline are boys.

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Submitted by Matt on Sun, 2013-06-09 14:40

IMO, this is absolutely a men's issue.

The schools are just like prison. My brother and I transferred from a small private school which was very strict on discipline, but at least it was all handled internally. We then went to a large public high school. We couldn't believe what the kids got a way with (swearing, bullying, general menacing, etc) However, when it came down to punishing kids for routine teenage stuff the cops were called and the court processions begun and student (usually boys) begin their "criminal record" and the courts take over the punishments.

Skipping school is *against the law*. anything perceived as a threat to another student is *against the law*, any physical altercation is *against the law* (and schools have a zero tolerance, so even a child defending himself is suspended). Pranks usually involve other people's property so they are *against the law*. underage smoking and giving a cigarette to an underage person is *against the law*. All of these infraction have been occurring on high school campuses for years, but now the cops will we called every time and parents will be dragged into court with their children!

if a child has any sort of involvement with cop or legal issue after school hours or during summer, they also now have a policy that they must inform the school. my high school had an employee called "friend of the court" who monitored any student who had court issues. Also the first thing a judge will ask for is your school records, even if the crime you did, did not occur at school or have anything to do with school. IMO this is a violation of privacy. The judge will think s/he is doing extra good by tacking on some punishment like, you must bring your grades up, or not have any unexcused absences. And of course they ask who the "friend of the court" person is at your school and establish contact with them.

School = court/prison

Source: my brother and I got in a lot of trouble

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Submitted by Kris on Sun, 2013-06-09 17:29