Education, Incarceration, Improvisation: Youth Self-Concept on the School-to-Prison Pipeline

• In Event: Arts based educational research and imagining future(s)

Abstract

In March 2025, youth performers from Drama Club, NYC—an organization that provides theater training to formerly incarcerated and justice-involved youth—presented their original performance, "How Did I Get Here," reflecting on their experiences with education before coming into contact with the juvenile justice system. Consisting of improvised scenes and written monologues, performers shared insights into how youth navigate the multiple systemic structures that conspire to bring them into contact with the justice system, including special education, the school-to-prison pipeline, and mental health interventions. In rehearsal, youth were asked to reflect on their conception of what makes up a "good" student, and their answers illuminate the gulf between academic success and their view of themselves as participants in the school community.

Author

• Kelly Lynn Brady, CUNY - Graduate Center