Meeting leader Jasiri X of One Hood, an organization that works to
defeat street violence, said the school-to-prison pipeline has been
facilitated by disciplinary policies that push students out of
classrooms and into prisons. He said this has occurred due to the
increase in zero-tolerance disciplinary policies, disciplinary
alternative schools and the installment of police officers in schools.
“We have heard about a school where they told the students ‘if
you’re in the hallway you get arrested’,” Jasiri said. “And there was
also the incident where a 5-year-old girl was handcuffed and arrested.”
While the group did place blame on the school systems for
criminalizing students, they also addressed issues within the community
such as irresponsible parenting. They resolved to create a support
system for children whose parents aren’t actively engaged in their
education.
“Yes we need to push the legislative change, the political change
and the administrative change, but we also need to push internal
change,” said Khalid Raheem, president of the National Council for
Urban Peace and Justice. “There’s still a lot of work we need to do in
ourselves and our families.”
Raheem pointed to drug activity as a major factor in the
school-to-prison pipeline. He said it keeps parents from focusing on
fighting institutional injustices and pushes students down the wrong
path.
“We’ve been knocked out from this dibbling and dabbling in drugs and
drug trafficking,” Raheem said. “You cannot launch any struggle for
liberation and freedom if you’re drunk or high.”
Others at the meeting pointed to stress factors such as absent
parents and irresponsible parents as reasons children misbehave in
school. Often times, they said symptoms of stress are ignored until it
is too late.
“These are the underlying issues that are making these kids angry
and sad,” said Iasia Eybers, program manager, Urban Youth Action.
“There’s some underlying issues before they even get shackled and put
in the car.”
Others at the meeting agreed that the police presence is too strong
in schools today. They also brought up cases where they feel tasers
were used unjustly against students.
Many said there should be social workers in the schools who advocate
on behalf of the students in case parents do not take the
responsibility. Former social worker Kelly Parker also added that
teachers should be trained on how to deal with at-risk students who
misbehave.
“I believe the screaming and hollering at kids at such a young age
needs to go,” Parker said. “They need to understand they’re dealing
with children.”
The meeting was the second in the ACLU’s three-part “Juvenile
Justice Series.” The last session will be on Nov. 13 and will focus on
the Youth Promise Act.