Combating the School-To-Prison Pipeline with Restorative Justice Practices

• In Event: Reimagining Justice Inside Schools

Abstract

The school-to-prison pipeline describes a pathway in which students are pushed out of school into the juvenile justice system. Zero-tolerance policies have contributed to an uptick in school-based disciplinary outcomes (e.g., out-of-school suspensions). Embedded in this issue is that research highlights the racial gap in school discipline with little attention to the unique invidious experiences of students in predominately Black communities who hold multiple intersecting identities (e.g., Black and male or Black and living with a disability). Increased national attention to this crisis has led schools to adopt Restorative Justice Practices (RJP), yet the existing literature rarely focuses on the impacts of RJP in predominantly Black schools. The current study used mixed effects regression models to add to existing research, practice, and policy on the impact of RJP on school discipline outcomes in a predominantly Black, urban middle school. We found that use of suspensions decreased over time, however the number of suspensions varied based on sociodemographic characteristics (gender, truancy status, academic achievement). Findings suggest that RJP may be a useful alternative to punitive disciplinary approaches and a mechanism to prevent school-based delinquency and arrest.

Authors

• Ashlee R. Barnes-Lee, Michigan State University

• Jalena Ann Williams, Michigan State University

• Natalie Rivera, Michigan State University

• Kevin Yu, Michigan State University