School To Prison Pipeline Case Study

Metze, P. S. (2017). Plugging the School to Prison Pipeline by Addressing Cultural Racism in Public Education Discipline. HeinOnline, 16, 203-312. Retrieved January 12, 2017. https://jjlp.law.ucdavis.edu/archives/vol-16-no-1/PMetze%20-Plugging%20the%20School%20to%20Prison%20Pipeline%20.pdf

In the journal article, “School Strictness and Disproportionate Minority Contact: Investigating Racial and Ethnic Disparities With the ‘‘School-to-Prison Pipeline” talks about how in schools with higher minority ratings have more prison like features such as, security or police officers within the schools, surveillance cameras and strict disciplines that must be obtained. Policing black lives and this article both share the same ideas on the topic of how minorities are treated in the educational system. The article explains

Furthermore, this leaves room for states to implement their own practices and ways to address status offenders. It has also been argued that the Act “fractured the juvenile justice system so that officials in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare handled white, middle-income youth” (Hinton, 2015, p. 816). Programs which labeled white youths as “children in trouble” marked minority youths as “chronic offenders” who were deemed a danger to society, and tried as an adult. The exceptions and revisions that have been made to the Act make it possible for repeat status offenders to be detained in secure

Whereas some do better with no family by their side some argued having the same situation as other delinquents who may have had a secure family structure and we see on the two positive borders how family makes an impaction on a child life. In the black community the education field for the youth is vital. Education is one of the few ways out of poverty, prison, and the only way to attain sustainable success, but not if its unequal for a child to receive or the different penalty that go along with being in school as black schoolboy/girl. A lot of favorite athletes and even top rappers was channel in the school-prison pipeline such as Curtis James Jackson, III was a piece of data in the concept.

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.

McCarter describes thoroughly the consequences STPP has on the nation’s school-age youth, including but not limited to increased exposure the criminal justice system, and gives solutions that schools can implement that will hopefully limit the overwhelming amount of students coming in contact with the STPP. The article proves that zero tolerance policies are not conducive to a safe school environment and does not foster a safe learning climate for

In the 1980s we began to see the implications of puntive policies in both the criminal justice system and the public education system. One policy that is a major contributor to the pipeline is the zero tolerance policy, which was built of previous policies such as the Gun Free School Act and War on Drugs (Advancement Project , 2010). Bringing us to current day where the reality for American children is growing up in a society that has the highest incarceration rates, where children, especially those of minority are more likelty to be sitting in a prison cell than a college dorm (Lamarche,

The literature review clearly has shown that there is a phenomenon called School to Prison, Schoolhouse to Jailhouse, or Public Education to Prison Pipeline. Therefore, Jeremy Thompson (2016) says, “Zero-tolerance policies in schools result in high suspension rates and expulsion rates among students in general, but disproportionately affect minority students, especially African-Americans because students who have been suspended or expelled are more likely than not to end up in the Criminal Justice

The National Association of Social Work created a code of ethics that guides social workers on what core values that they should uphold during work (NASW, 2008). When discussing social welfare policy’s, the NASW code of ethics can be applied to immigration due to social justice being one the core values. Social justice consists of fighting for rights for individuals who lack the access to resources. The immigrants that are discussed in the articles, have a lack of social justice due to the deportation. This is where social workers need to step in adjust the privileges and distributions within society.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), students of color are more likely to be suspended or expelled from school than their white peers and are more likely to be referred to law enforcement for school-based offenses (ACLU, 2021). Students with disabilities are also disproportionately affected by this pipeline, according to the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), students with disabilities are more likely to experience exclusionary discipline practices than their non-disabled peers (NDRN, 2021). It is evident that the school-to-prison pipeline is an issue of inequality. It contributes to systemic oppression and discrimination in schools. School should be a safe place where students feel welcome and respected, not a place of inequality and

Not only does Berstein call for an overall reform of this nation’s juvenile prisons, she goes as far as saying the practice of locking up youth is in need of a “more profound than incremental and partial reform” (13). The fact that Bernstein outlines the numerous failed strategies and goals of this practice with her compelling use of studies and statistics is enough to promote an audience to reject the practice of locking up youth. The statistic she shares that “four out of five juvenile parolees [will be] back behind bars within three years of release” as well as the studies she conducted on numerous instances when a guards abuse of power lead to the death of a child work to further prove her point: being that “institution[s] as intrinsically destructive as the juvenile prison” have no place in a modern society (13, 83). Bernstein refutes this false sense effectiveness further by sharing her own ideas on what she believes works as a much more humane solution to rehabilitating

Children' brain are not fully developed yet. Thus, they do not realize the risks and consequences of their action. School-to-prison pipeline is arresting children for violating school rules. Statistic show drop out students are likely in jail for many reasons. Society need to focus more on education and spend less on prison, which can save thousands of taxpayers’ money.

The Juvenile Division is filled with a team of advocates specifically for their children in order to address their needs in school. They also have social workers, and court advocates that represent on their behalf in order to provide assistance for the child. If a student is having problems within the school, Powers says they work “collaboratively” with the school and the student in order to address any critical issues: violence within the school, Individual Education Plan (IEP), Probation, family therapy, “also by working with the needs of the family and not just the needs of the child is very important”. Ms. Powers recognizes the underlying factors that leads to delinquency in juveniles may be due to

Modern social workers are frequently tasked with certain objectives by their agencies, which leave little room for any work beyond specific treatments and timeframes (Gitterman & Knight, 2016). Although social workers are bound to the set of ethics put forth by the NASW, practitioners are often limited to focusing on the issues of the individual rather than the larger societal issues that may be behind those concerns. Additionally, many social work students end up working in direct practice, rather than macro work. There is a need for social workers to engage at the macro level in order to facilitate community organization and empowerment. Critics suggest this theory may not take into account the unique experiences of each individual and perhaps key characteristics of the individual or group are not taken into consideration (Sadan, 1997).

In my social work field supervision, I am expected to abide by the NASW Code of Ethics as well as the state of Alabama code of Ethics. In social work field supervision, it gives me the opportunity to apply theory to direct and community practice with my clients. I also get a chance to learn from a veteran or seasoned social workers by observing, practicing, and experiencing the important integration of theoretical knowledge with practice skills while working with diverse populations and communities. This experience also help me build a sense of professional identity that I can only acquire in a practice setting. Field supervision also help to recognize and adhere to the core values and ethical principles of the social work profession.