School to Prison Pipeline
By Madison Butler
Humanity has the stars in its future, and that future is too important to be lost under the burden of juvenile folly and ignorant superstition.
~ Isaac Asimov
~ Isaac Asimov
Madison Butler
Jones College Prep
Chicago Public Schools are in a crisis and action needs to be taken. Kids, typically ones that are already placed at a disadvantage, are being pushed into the criminal justice system by the Government and the school system. Children are profiled at the mere age of eight and they are forced to carry that profile for the rest of their life. Treatment of the student varies for every "profile" they are given. Schools rely very heavily on police arrests to resolve disciplinary issues, thus effecting how the student is treated in school. Teachers typically look down on students who have a history of misdemeanor, causing the students to turn to crime due to the lack of school influence.
The school to prison pipeline targets the group composed of African American males. They are five times more likely to be incarcerated, compared to their peers (Chicago Youth Justice Data Program). The data reveals how African American males are targeted into the the American criminal justice system. Discrimination is taking place against African American males, which results in lack of school influence. Students are removed from a learning environment and made to fend for themselves in a criminal institution. Students are just being punished and not taught what they did wrong, leading to them to perform another misdemeanor. In 2010, African Americans accounted for 75.5% of all school based arrests, which is 4,737 students while whites only accounted for a small percentage (Kaba & Edwards). There are two logical reasons for this: either white children are extremely well behaved kids who do no wrong or African Americans are unfairly targeted into the cruel system. The latter reason is the most plausible one because nobody is perfect. A majority of African Americans suffer in the school to prison pipeline, leading to a lack of school influence and causing them to suffer in the criminal justice system.
African Americans are not the only people who suffer, everyone does. Twenty five students in the Chicago Public school system are arrested each day (Chicago Youth Justice Data Program). That is about nine thousand, one hundred and twenty five students being arrested each year. Punishment is taken too far due to the fact that only 84% of the arrests are misdemeanors (Chicago Youth Justice Data Program). Misdemeanors are less than felonies but still present obstacles to succeeding, such as getting a job. Because the schools discipline students and force them out of a school environment, students are left to fend for themselves. Schools should be a safe haven but the arrests due to misdemeanor restrict students from receiving the necessary skills taught by schools.
While our students suffer, the government gains money. The U.S. spends almost $70 billion annually on incarceration, probation and parole. This number lends itself to a 127% funding increase for incarceration between 1987-2007. Compare that to a 21% increase in funding for higher education in the same 20-year span (Flow). Students are faced to endure the grim system while government officials are making off with money. Students are put down to remain unsuccessful while the government officials assure their place and prep a select few of students to take their place when its time for retirement. The school to prison pipeline allows these injustices to occur because there is no one stepping up to stop the issue at hand. Young offenders are healthier, have fewer discipline problems, and can stay in the system far longer than adult prisoners. Private prisons have seen considerable growth in their portfolio of managing juvenile facilities. What’s more, prisons are used as an economic development strategy by many communities, especially in rural communities, where many people’s livelihoods depending on incarceration (Flow). Students are seen as money in the eyes of the government, causing their well being not to matter.
The school to prison pipeline is preventing out future leaders from succeeding. The drop out rate from which is caused by the school to prison pipeline is an atrocity which stops students from doing their full potential. Pushing at risk students into a life with the lack of a school presence causes an increase of criminal acts, thus effecting the unemployment rate and economy. Students are not just a figure, they humans who are the future of the United States and if the school to prison pipeline does not stop, then a majority of the generations voices are silenced.
Works Cited:
Amurao, Carla. "Fact Sheet: How Bad Is the School-to-Prison Pipeline?." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/tsr/education-under-arrest/school-to-prison-pipeline-fact-sheet/>.
"Chicago Youth Justice Data Project."Chicago Youth Justice Data Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://chiyouthjustice.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/new-fact-sheets-chicago-school-to-prison-pipeline/ >.
Kaba, Mariami, and Frank Edwards. "Policing Chicago Public Schools: A Gateway to the School to Prison Pipeline."Wordpress. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://policeinschools.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/policing-chicago-public-schools-final2.pdf>.
Long , Cindy. "Stemming the Flow of the School-to-Prison Pipeline." NEA Today RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://neatoday.org/2013/05/15/stemming-the-flow-of-the-school-to-prison-pipeline/ >.
Jones College Prep
Chicago Public Schools are in a crisis and action needs to be taken. Kids, typically ones that are already placed at a disadvantage, are being pushed into the criminal justice system by the Government and the school system. Children are profiled at the mere age of eight and they are forced to carry that profile for the rest of their life. Treatment of the student varies for every "profile" they are given. Schools rely very heavily on police arrests to resolve disciplinary issues, thus effecting how the student is treated in school. Teachers typically look down on students who have a history of misdemeanor, causing the students to turn to crime due to the lack of school influence.
The school to prison pipeline targets the group composed of African American males. They are five times more likely to be incarcerated, compared to their peers (Chicago Youth Justice Data Program). The data reveals how African American males are targeted into the the American criminal justice system. Discrimination is taking place against African American males, which results in lack of school influence. Students are removed from a learning environment and made to fend for themselves in a criminal institution. Students are just being punished and not taught what they did wrong, leading to them to perform another misdemeanor. In 2010, African Americans accounted for 75.5% of all school based arrests, which is 4,737 students while whites only accounted for a small percentage (Kaba & Edwards). There are two logical reasons for this: either white children are extremely well behaved kids who do no wrong or African Americans are unfairly targeted into the cruel system. The latter reason is the most plausible one because nobody is perfect. A majority of African Americans suffer in the school to prison pipeline, leading to a lack of school influence and causing them to suffer in the criminal justice system.
African Americans are not the only people who suffer, everyone does. Twenty five students in the Chicago Public school system are arrested each day (Chicago Youth Justice Data Program). That is about nine thousand, one hundred and twenty five students being arrested each year. Punishment is taken too far due to the fact that only 84% of the arrests are misdemeanors (Chicago Youth Justice Data Program). Misdemeanors are less than felonies but still present obstacles to succeeding, such as getting a job. Because the schools discipline students and force them out of a school environment, students are left to fend for themselves. Schools should be a safe haven but the arrests due to misdemeanor restrict students from receiving the necessary skills taught by schools.
While our students suffer, the government gains money. The U.S. spends almost $70 billion annually on incarceration, probation and parole. This number lends itself to a 127% funding increase for incarceration between 1987-2007. Compare that to a 21% increase in funding for higher education in the same 20-year span (Flow). Students are faced to endure the grim system while government officials are making off with money. Students are put down to remain unsuccessful while the government officials assure their place and prep a select few of students to take their place when its time for retirement. The school to prison pipeline allows these injustices to occur because there is no one stepping up to stop the issue at hand. Young offenders are healthier, have fewer discipline problems, and can stay in the system far longer than adult prisoners. Private prisons have seen considerable growth in their portfolio of managing juvenile facilities. What’s more, prisons are used as an economic development strategy by many communities, especially in rural communities, where many people’s livelihoods depending on incarceration (Flow). Students are seen as money in the eyes of the government, causing their well being not to matter.
The school to prison pipeline is preventing out future leaders from succeeding. The drop out rate from which is caused by the school to prison pipeline is an atrocity which stops students from doing their full potential. Pushing at risk students into a life with the lack of a school presence causes an increase of criminal acts, thus effecting the unemployment rate and economy. Students are not just a figure, they humans who are the future of the United States and if the school to prison pipeline does not stop, then a majority of the generations voices are silenced.
Works Cited:
Amurao, Carla. "Fact Sheet: How Bad Is the School-to-Prison Pipeline?." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/tsr/education-under-arrest/school-to-prison-pipeline-fact-sheet/>.
"Chicago Youth Justice Data Project."Chicago Youth Justice Data Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://chiyouthjustice.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/new-fact-sheets-chicago-school-to-prison-pipeline/ >.
Kaba, Mariami, and Frank Edwards. "Policing Chicago Public Schools: A Gateway to the School to Prison Pipeline."Wordpress. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://policeinschools.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/policing-chicago-public-schools-final2.pdf>.
Long , Cindy. "Stemming the Flow of the School-to-Prison Pipeline." NEA Today RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://neatoday.org/2013/05/15/stemming-the-flow-of-the-school-to-prison-pipeline/ >.