School-to-Prison Pipeline

The school-to-prison pipeline refers to the formal and informal education and law enforcement processes and policies that push predominantly Black and Latino male PreK–12 students out of school and into the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. In this entry, the school-to-prison pipeline is examined in relationship to the major factors leading to its construction and the role progressive education can play in seeking to dismantle it. The issues addressed include the growth of the “prison-industrial complex,” the rise of zero-tolerance policies, racism and special education, and the relationship between White female teachers and Black and Latino male students.