Juvenile and Criminal Justice|Education
School-to-Prison Pipeline
Current school disciplinary policies push youth into the legal system too readily, creating a direct school-to-prison “pipeline.” We aim to dismantle this one-way track through law and policy changes. Juvenile Law Center advocates to: (1) curb unnecessary referrals from schools to the justice system; (2) ensure that youth in the justice system receive appropriate education so that they may resume their education in their communities; and (3) establish appropriate re-entry strategies to support youth in their successful return to school after placement.
To achieve these objectives, we employ four key strategies: publication of relevant materials for juvenile and child welfare professionals, litigation, public education, and training. We also collaborate with numerous organizations, including:
- Dignity in Schools, a national campaign that unites youth, parents, advocates, and educators to challenge the systemic problem of “push out” in our nation’s schools
- Pennsylvania Academic and Career/Technical Training Alliance (PACTT), which strives to improve the educational options available to delinquent youth both in residential placement and in their home communities
- Community Responses to Zero Tolerance, a collective of local parent, student, and community advocacy organizations who work to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline in Philadelphia public schools
- Pennsylvania School Climate Coalition (PSCC), which utilizes legal, rational, and ethical leverage to disassemble the school-to-prison pipeline in Pennsylvania and improve education-related policies and practices from the federal to the local levels.
Last updated December 2011
Fast Facts
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There is no evidence that zero-tolerance policies make schools safer or improve student behavior.
ACLU, "School to Prison Pipeline: Talking Points." www.aclu.org, 6 June 2008. Web. June 2011.
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Research suggests that the overuse of suspensions and expulsions, as in the case of a zero-tolerance policy, may increase the likelihood of later criminal misconduct.
ACLU, "School to Prison Pipeline: Talking Points." www.aclu.org, 6 June 2008. Web. June 2011.
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In 2001, the American Bar Association formally opposed zero-tolerance strategies of managing youths' behavior in school.
Martin, Ralph C. "Juvenile Justice Policies Zero Tolerance Policy Report." American Bar Association, Feb. 2001.
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An adjudication of delinquency may limit opportunities to seek higher education, obtain employment, or enlist in the military.
Pennsylvania Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network, "The Pennsylvania Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist," May 2010.
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