The Punitive State: Incarceration, Concentrated Disadvantage, and Their Consequences for School Punishment

• In Event: School Crime, Punishment, and Control

Abstract

The consequences of incarceration have been well-documented throughout the criminological literature. Scholars have found that the effects of incarceration impact various institutions beyond the justice system. However, limited attention has been given to the possibility that these incarceration effects might impact school outcomes. Drawing on Foucault's (1977) "carceral continuum" thesis which asserts that the judicial system models what is considered appropriate punishment, this work explores whether incarceration rates and concentrated disadvantage are predictive of school punishment. To test these ideas, a random sample of Florida middle and high schools combined with data from the U.S. Census, the Florida Department of Education, the Florida Department of Corrections, and the Uniform Crime Report is analyzed. Findings reveal that incarceration rates and concentrated disadvantage increase the likelihood of suspension for all students; however, the effect of incarceration rates on the likelihood of school suspension is moderated by concentrated disadvantage only for Black students.

Author

• Cresean Hughes, University of Delaware