The Alarming Rate Of Juvenile Incarceration Essay

The School to Prison Pipeline was chosen as a topic because it is relevant, controversial and dramatically affecting the nation’s youth. The school to prison pipeline proposes youth to choose between an education and jail, though the decision has often already been decided for them. A child should never be pushed away from education for any reason. School is the one place society depends on to guarantee that youth discover world of knowledge, their identity and a safe haven away from home. This issue is no secret as it is very obvious to see in almost any school district that the pipeline is an ongoing practice. The author takes an interest in this topic being a strong advocate of academics. The author disapproves of the pipeline effect as it shows detrimental damages to educational systems and young children across the nation. From the earliest school age to the last, youth are being stripped of their educational privileges due to an unfair system.

The data for this project was collected by administering an anonymous survey to incarcerated juveniles at (name of facility), the (name) receiving center and at the NAACP office in Sacramento, California. The survey asked for gender and parental status (incarcerated versus not incarcerated). Participants were given a paper survey and a pencil to complete the survey. See Appendix for a copy of the survey.

“Tomorrow 's future is in the hands of the youth of today” is not a particularly new sentiment. But what is new, what has become a pressing question, is what is to become of the future if our youth are behind bars instead of in schools? Youth today are being pushed into the criminal justice system at an alarming rate. This issue is known as the school to prison pipeline ─ the rapid rate at which children are pushed out of schools and into the criminal justice system. The school to prison pipeline is a term that came into use by activists in the late 1970’s and has gained recognition throughout the years as the issue became more prominent in the 1990’s. Some activists view policies meant to “correct” misbehaviors, especially in regards to Zero Tolerance policies and the policing of schools, as a major contributor to the pipeline. Others believe that the funding of schools and the education standards are to blame for the rapid increase of youth incarcerations. While the school to prison pipeline affects every student, African American students, both male and female, are more often the victim of discrimination in education. The school to prison pipeline must end, and the trend must be reversed.

When it comes to kids, we tend to baby them. We organize their lives and set limits on everything. If they want to do something outside those limits we tell them they are not old enough or they have not experienced enough of the world yet. After all, what can they possibly know about love, major decisions, and what is best for them? Yet somehow, despite all this, when they commit a crime we turn into hypocrites. Magically, they are geniuses who know everything about the world. In society’s eyes, they are no longer a child, but a monster.

Today’s juvenile court system handles most cases involving those under the age of 18-year-old. This was not always the case and the ideal of a separate court system for adults and children is only about 100 years old. When looking at the differences that set juvenile courts apart, it is important to study the history and see how it developed over time.

The School to prison pipeline is a thing that affects black children and children with disabilities. The pipeline is a trend that leads children into the criminal justice system instead of college graduation. It grains children for prison, instead of grooming them to enter the workforce. In this paper I will explain 3 things, (African American students being affected,How it affects children underaged, and how children with disabilities are being affected too.) African American students are being affected in the School to Prison Pipeline because on one big reason on who they are.

Whether equality in the nation’s educational system has ever been achieved is greatly debated. For many students inequality persists, particularly for those viewed as a minority, low-income or disabled, as avenues to a worthwhile education remain limited or in severe cases closed all together. To compound the issue many of these students either drop out of school or are pushed out because of delinquency matters. As a result, many end up becoming involved with the juvenile justice system, often faced with labels and stigmas that will follow them well into adulthood. However, how did this new face of inequality come into existence? To answer this we must look at the nations “tough on crime” approach, school disciplinary systems, and the

“In early 2009, it was discovered that a private juvenile detention center paid two Pennsylvania judges $2.6 million over a five years to reject pleas for leniency and alternative punishment for hundreds of teens” (Anderson). Juveniles fall prey to the penal system due to discrimination, lack of education, and social status. As adults, we are tasked with the responsibility to protect, and educate the generation that is to be our successors, but it seems that not all kids fit the bill because some kids are selected for greatness while others are deemed expendable. The selection process is quite questionable because these expendable children largely reside in poor communities made up of minorities. An example of this discriminatory act can be seen in public schools in underprivileged neighborhoods where police officers are placed to push at risk-students out of the classroom and into the criminal justice system, opting for punishment such as suspension, expulsion, and arrest for minor offenses that would be best settled at an administrative level (Jackson et al.). He goes on to say, “70% of students arrested in school or referred to law enforcement are African Americans or Latino” (Jackson et al.). As such, the effects of these measures have resulted in an increase in the

According to Joy M. Thomas, author of “Mass Incarceration of Minority Males,” elementary school children are deliberately sent to “juvenile detention,” also known as, “school-to-prison pipeline”, a common practice across the United States, where pupils are treated like criminals instead of students. Furthermore, schools have implemented “zero tolerance disciplinary policies” that are aimed at minority students. At the same time, children are encouraged to succeed academically while being warned about the attraction of the illegal activity occurring in their neighborhoods, Thomas explains. The psychological pressure from living under those conditions and resisting

Introduction: Recidivism or, habitual relapses into crime, has time and time again proven to be an issue among delinquents, which thereby increases the overall juvenile prison population. This issue has become more prevalent than what we realize. Unless a unit for measuring a juvenile’s risk of recidivism is enacted and used to determine a system to promote effective prevention, than the juvenile prison population will continue to increase. Our court system should not only focus on punishing the said juvenile but also enforce a program or policy that will allow for prevention of recidivism. So the question remains, how can recidivism in the juvenile prison population be prevented so that it is no longer the central cause for increased

Should Juveniles be waived to adult court Philosophy 14 Nov 98 Should juveniles be waived to adult court. There has been tension between teens (pre-teens) and adults for thousands of years, and the question how to deal with the youth of a culture, in a punishment sense, has been with us for just as long. Socrates, for example, stated that "children show little respect for there elders." Since Socrates time largely due to the spread of guns and drugs, younger and younger children are committing violent crimes. Children that have special needs or have committed a criminal act have been subject to state protection since, 1838. The first juvenile court was established in Chicago in 1890. The assumption, that was made

The juvenile justice system compared to today, is in a way similar, when it comes to the rehabilitation aspect. The aim in the juvenile justices system is to help delinquent from reoffending, and change their outlook on crime. Developing a safe zone where they can be open to change, the system also keeps the young offenders out of jails, by diverting them from criminal activity. What is most interesting is, the punishment aspect, the get tough wave was a way to show the delinquent juveniles that their crimes are not going to go unseen , and that they will not receive the, “ slap on the hand method”. Putting children in an adult institution such as jail or prison.

In conclusion, the lower class and minorities in our nation are constantly targeted and hurt by the broken jail structure. In order to prevail, the government must focus on providing adequate resources towards schools in the inner city and poverty ridden areas so that kids will focus on their education rather than being involved in gangs. Our jails should treat prisoners like human beings instead of caged animals; they should emphasize on teaching them skills that they could utilize once they are released. Living in poverty should not equate to living a life in

The American juvenile justice system was designed over 100 years ago to reform kids who were found guilty of minor crimes such as petty theft and truancy. Today, the system is becoming overwhelmed by crimes of violence. Stealing and skipping school have been replaced by rape and murder. The juvenile justice system was never meant to deal with these kinds of problems.

Children have been described as our future, our greatest resource, and our hope for a better tomorrow. For many Americans, though, children invoke fear. They represent violence, a segment of society lacking in self-control and devoid of ethics and morals, and the failure of the family to instill traditional values, top among them being the value of human life and respect for others.