3 Strategies for Ending the School to Prison Pipeline

I was recently featured on a Comcast/NBCUniversal presentation of the network’s virtual Social Justice Speakers Series. I spoke about the school-to-prison pipeline, in which our children are funneled into the juvenile detention system and criminalized for minor infractions. This system robs youth of their potential, opportunities, and many go on to serve jail time as young adults.

The school-to-prison pipeline traps children in a bitter cycle that affects entire families and communities. Families bear the stigma of having an incarcerated family member. When individuals are released from prison, they’re consigned to low paying jobs and contend with chronic unemployment that costs the nation billions in lost GDP.

This is a civil rights issue due to the disproportionate impact experienced by children of color and children with disabilities. Ending this pipeline begins with becoming knowledgeable. It became possible due to school zero-tolerance policies and disciplinary practices. The system must be dismantled and strategic action is required. Changes in three main categories must be enacted.

1. Positive climates must be created that focus on prevention rather than punishment. Students would be better served through interventions informed by restorative practices from school administrators to handle disciplinary actions rather than relying on resource officers and the court system.

Educational programs and counseling services should be increased and made available, along with training and tools for teachers to effectively deal with misbehavior. This holistic approach will aid in ministering to the needs of children while supporting learning goals.

2. Secondly, development of clear, appropriate and consistent expectations is critical, along with consequences to prevent, de-escalate, and address disruptive behaviors. As an adjunct to this, we must improve behavior, increase engagement and boost achievement. Students must be made aware of what’s expected of them and learn key tools for managing these expectations as a part of life skills development.

3. Lastly, we need to ensure fairness, equity, and continuous improvement to prevent a reversion to the methods and policies that made the school-to-prison pipeline possible. Disciplinary policies and practices will need continual examination and analysis.

Schools and prisons. Two very separate institutions, but for some children, a direct link. You can learn how you can help to prevent, challenge and change the school-to-prison pipeline by downloading the Comcast/NBC Universal video and sharing it on your social media channels. You can also participate and be part of the solution by visiting #SJSSBeyondTheHashtag, #SchoolToPrisonPipeline, and #RacialJustice.