A School-to-Prison Pipeline or a System at Work? A Synthesis of Literature

• In Event: 16.060 - Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: 16.060-4 - Educating Marginalized Youth in the Current Social Context

Abstract

The “school-to-prison pipeline” (STPP) addresses the ways in which children are susceptible to school exclusion and incarceration. As a metaphor, the STPP has been instrumental in raising public and policymakers’ awareness about the incarceration of children, particularly regarding the role of school “zero-tolerance” discipline policies. However, policies do not operate in isolation. This paper extends analyses of the STPP beyond school-based discipline by reviewing 31 studies that identify 29 unique policies at state and federal levels involved in the STPP and in cycles of child incarceration. Using systems theory, we identify policy interactions, policy feedback loops, and hidden policy feedback effects spanning education and juvenile justice systems. We reframe the STPP as a non-linear policy network across multiple contributing systems.

Authors

• Andrea F. Kalvesmaki, University of Utah

• Irene H. Yoon, University of Utah