About This Lesson
The School-to-Prison Pipeline refers to the school policies and procedures that drive many of our nation’s schoolchildren into a pathway that begins in school and ends in the criminal justice system. Behavior that once led to a trip to the principal’s office and detention, such as school uniform violations, profanity and “talking back,” now often leads to suspension, expulsion, and/or arrest.
Today, largely as a result of “zero tolerance” policies that mandate harsh punishments for even minor misbehavior in schools, 3.3 million children are suspended or expelled from school each year, approximately double the rate of the 1970s. Further, harsh school discipline policies disproportionately impact students of color, students with disabilities and students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning (LGBTQ). This lesson provides an opportunity for students to understand more about the School-to-Prison Pipeline, learn about its history and evolution and begin to plan some activities to teach others about it and take action.
