Roundtable: Harsh School Discipline and Disproportionate Minority Contact with the Juvenile Justice System

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

The chief purpose of this roundtable discussion is to explore the latest research on the connection between overly punitive school discipline and disproportionate minority contact with the juvenile justice system. Prior research indicates that school teachers and administrators contribute to Black and Hispanic/Latinex students being suspended and expelled from schools at a disproportionate rate (Losen et al., 2015; Nance, 2016). Subtopics of discussion include: the school-to-prison pipeline in Massachusetts; focal concerns; comparative suspension/expulsion rates and criminal justice/juvenile justice outcomes; and differential treatment in the classroom. Future directions for addressing these issues will be discussed.

Sub Unit

• Area XIII: Roundtable Sessions

Chair

• Forrest R. Rodgers, Salem State University

Discussants

• Denise D. Nation, Winston-Salem State University

• Jennifer Hartsfield, Bridgewater State University

• Khadija Monk, Bridgewater State University

• Rhonda D. Evans, Fitchburg State University

• Sonya Conner, Worcester State University