Essay On School To Prison Pipeline

The School-to-Prison Pipeline in Low-Income Communities

Introduction

The "school-to-prison pipeline" is an anomaly in which students, typically in low-income neighborhoods, are channeled from school into the criminal justice system. First, the pipeline begins with overly punitive disciplinary policies, such as zero-tolerance policies, which result in frequent suspensions and expulsions. The policies implemented and enforced disproportionately impact students of color, students with disabilities, and students from low-income families. Furthermore, the pipeline goes deeper than just harsh rules and includes the implementation of more police within schools, which in turn results in higher arrests within the schools. All of the previous statements

With this said students within low-income communities are already disadvantaged and stripped from many opportunities that other students are utilizing. Moreover, a black student is three times more likely to be suspended when compared to a white student (American Civil Liberties Union, 2023), and within low-income communities, children of color make up the majority of students, so imagine the number of suspensions that happen

Additionally, the policies implemented and enforced, such as the zero-tolerance rules, disproportionately impact students of color, students with disabilities, and students from low-income families. Moreover, the beginnings of the pipeline were elaborated on, connecting it to the modern problems faced within the pipeline, all backed by conclusive research. Again, the majority of schools within these impoverished/ low-income communities may exercise numerous security measures, such as the placement of metal detectors, cameras, or even police officers to monitor the halls rather than teachers or administrators. As a result, a domino effect happens where more arrests within schools occur, resulting in another spiral that is juvenile detention centers and alternative disciplinary schools. Ultimately, three solutions were posed to such a dilemma, including increased funding for education in low-income neighborhoods, providing support for students with disabilities and mental health needs, and adopting restorative justice practices that focus on repairing harm rather than punishing students. His includes reforming the criminal justice system to prioritize rehabilitation and diversion programs over punishment, and incarceration can help to reduce the impact of the pipeline. The