Day 11: Race and Incarceration
The “school-to-prison pipeline" term is tied to the systems that funnel Black children (specifically boys) out of school and into prison at alarming rates. However school disciplinary policies disproportionately affect also Black girls.
Life after prison can often be just as difficult as time spent behind bars. Most former convicts struggle with culture shock, mental health issues, disenfranchisement, unemployment and a whole host of other problems upon release. Today we will learn more about some of those issues and the struggle the formerly incarcerated face when trying to re-engage in society.
main CHALLENGE
First, watch this 3 minute video on the School to Prison pipeline video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoKkasEyDOI
Then watch this 2 minute video on mass incarceration: https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/404890/prison-inherited-trait/
ADDITIONAL CHALLENGE OPTIONS
Listen to NPR Throughline – American Police (1 hr 4 min), which documents the “origins of American policing and how those origins put violent control of Black Americans at the heart of the system.”
SELF-REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What have you learned from today's challenge?
What are the disciplinary policies in your school? How do they compare to the policies in place when you or your parents were in school?
How can we ensure safe public schools while respecting all students’ right to education?