School to Prison Pipeline

and the Juvenile Justice

SystemPROFESSOR NANDA, UCLA SCHOOL OF LAW

Background:

Youth and Justice Clinic at UCLA School of Law

UCLA Law Review Article (2012)

Blind Discretion: Girls of Color and Delinquency in the Juvenile Justice System

Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced, and Underprotected

Report by Professor Crenshaw, Professor Nanda, and Priscilla Ocen in conjunction with

the African American Policy Forum & Center for Intersectionality & Social Policy Studies

Focus:

Girls in the Juvenile Justice System

Entry points to treatment within the System

Particular focus on Girls of Color (African American/Latino)

Intersections of Race and Gender as pertaining to Youth of Color

School to Prison Pipeline

A disturbing national trend wherein children are funneled out of

public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems.

Status Offenses (i.e. Truancy), Violating Probation, Zero-Tolerance Policies, Increase of SROs (School

Resource Officers/School Police) on school campuses, Subjective Suspensions/Expulsions (“Willful

Defiance”)

According to report by the Community Rights Campaign

The vast majority of LASPD’s arrests and tickets in 2011-2012 were for behavior that posed little to no

serious threat to the physical safety of students or staff members.

56% of the arrests and tickets were for either possession of tobacco (or a lighter),

possession or consumption of alcohol, daytime curfew violations, possession of

marijuana, or vandalism/ graffiti (or possession of a marker or aerosol paint).

The Juvenile “Justice” System

1. Arrest(Police)

2. Juvenile Hall

2. Dismissed Petition/ Case Diverted

3. Case Waived to Adult Court

3. Adjudication

5. Home on Probation

5. Probation Camp

5. Suitable Placement

5. Division of Juvenile Justice

5. CA Dept. of Corrections & Rehabilitation

6. Gang Supervision

6. CCTP or PCTS[Transition]

6. Released to Parole

1. Referral(Schools, Parents,

Victims & Probation)

Tanisha’s Story

Good afternoon everybody. My name's Tanisha Denard

and I'm a high school graduate and organize with the

justice coalition. I was arrested in school for getting in a

fight and put on probation. Whenever I was late to school

the police would be surrounding our campus giving out

truancy tickets. After a few times getting tickets my

probation was violated and I was sent to - - Juvenile Hall.

Hidden Toll of Race on Black Girls

The data and literature suggest that Black girls face higher risks of suspension and

expulsion for subjective behavioral infractions but few researchers work in this

area.

According to the Department of Education Suspension Data for Girls and Boys

Black boys are 3 times more likely to be suspended than a White boy

Black girls are 6 times more likely to be suspended than a White girl

In New York’s Public School System:

Black boys are 10 times more likely to be expelled than a White boy

Black girls are 53 times more likely to be expelled than a White girl

Tanisha’s Story

From the time I entered the gate I felt anxious and hopeless. I remember the sound and sight of

the big, bulky, metal, wire gate opening and slam shutting behind me. I took showers with the

staff watching me from beginning to end and there was no curtain on the windows so I could

also see male staff during the showers the whole time I was locked up. For the first few days I was

pretty distant. I wouldn't eat or go to the day room which - - sit with other girls and I felt unsure

and uncomfortable. Instead of trying to counsel me, the probation staff just stopped talking to

me. They stopped asking if I wanted some food or to go to the day room. Even though I wasn't

on lock down I felt like I was in solitary confinement already. I guess the - - thought I was

depressed so they put me on lock down for real. No cell - -, no dayroom time, no hope. The

rooms are about 5' by 10' with a metal door and a small shatterproof window. As you can see - -

. With the exception of the door - - sections of the wall are covered with - - and brown stains that

looked like smeared feces or blood. Almost everyone in lock down was in shorts and a t-shirt. The

air conditioning would be on full blast so it was always freezing. Once in that cell you couldn’t

come out again until it's time to take that 45 second shower which was 23 hours later.

Source: Families Unlocking Futures: Solutions to the Crisis in Juvenile Justice by Justice for Families (2012)

Juvenile “Justice” System

In California, the cost of a year in a youth prison reached a high of $225,000 while education spending dipped to less than $8,000.

One recent longitudinal study of 35,000 young offenders found that those who were incarcerated as juveniles were twice as likely to go on to be locked up as adults.

Police arrest nearly 2 million juvenile each year. That’s 1 in 3 American schoolchildren being arrested by the age of 23.

In 2010, only 1 of every 4 confined youths were locked up for a violent offense (aggravated assault, robbery, homicide, sexual assault)

40% are behind bars for low level offenses (probation violation, drug possession, minor property offenses, public order offenses, or status offenses)

Fully 80 to 90% of American teenagers have committed an illegal act that could qualify them for time behind bars.

Most, however, never see the inside of a cell or police car.

For black and brown youth, especially from impoverished communities face different prospects.

Black and Brown Youth face a Culture of Control- they are treated with suspicion and harsh discipline at school, on the street and in their own communities.

Incarceration exacerbates the vulnerabilities these youth likely already face but then expose them as well to: PTSD, curtailed education, hang affiliation, gladiator mentality of prison culture, social isolation, and stigma.

Tanisha’s Story

The sheets and the underwear were always stained with urine, blood and feces just like in

the box, people had to beg to use the restroom and we were ignored and told to shut up

and sometimes we were forced to pee onto the floor into a towel or a sheet. Your family and community expect that your safe and unharmed but in reality you are safe from

other youth but you're not safe from yourself. Being locked down makes you feel that

you are worthless to society. You start to think about any ways to escape even if it means

suicide. When I went home I felt I had changed. My family couldn't believe my

experience and they constantly made me feel like I was a bad person. The feeling of

hopelessness had only increased. I think all young people deserve something better than

a 24 hour cell. If we need to heal or calm down the best thing would be to create a

nature park or - - grow food - - vocational training so we're ready to start our lives back - -. Thank you.

Bibliography

Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced, and Underprotected by Professor

Crenshaw, Professor Nanda, and Priscilla Ocen in conjunction with the African

American Policy Forum & Center for Intersectionality & Social Policy Studies (2015)

Black, Brown, and Overpoliced in L.A. Schools by the Labor/Community Strategy

Center and the Community Rights Campaign (2013)

Burning Down the House by Nell Berstein