The School to Prison Pipeline by Ericka Foster The school to prison pipeline describes a series of policies and techniques that hinders the education of young people while funneling them into the criminal justice system. Those policies were designed to be “tough on crime”, but in the end push young people into the criminal justice systems. Those same policies disproportionately affect marginalized groups – children of color (particularly boys), students with disabilities, and members of the LGBT+ communities. While black children made up 16 percent of all enrolled children in 2011-12, according to federal data, they accounted for 31 percent of all in-school arrests. Students with disabilities are also suspended more frequently than students without disabilities. As you can see from the table below, Black and Indigenous children are more likely to receive out-of-school suspension.
US Department of Education To address the fear of more school shootings, zero-tolerance policies and in school police officers were implemented. The Gun-Free Schools Act, passed in 1994, mandated a yearlong out-of-school suspension for any student caught bringing a weapon to school. Those zero tolerance policies send children home for minor infractions. That time spent out of school puts students further behind in their education. When children can’t keep up, they lose interest and can become more disruptive. In a statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics, they state that suspension and expulsion may make it harder for children to get an education. Without adequate support, “student alienation, delinquency, crime, and substance abuse may ensue.”
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