The Implications of the School-to-Prison Pipeline in New York City Public Schools on African-American Students
Open Access
Author:
Ricksy, Charisma Nia
Area of Honors:
African and African American Studies
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Crystal Renee Sanders, Thesis Supervisor Vincent M Colapietro, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Education African-American Students New York City School-to-Prison Pipeline
Abstract:
The school-to-prison pipeline is a national phenomenon that impacts schools across the country. Fundamentally, the pipeline funnels children as young as seven years old out of school and into the criminal justice system through suspensions, expulsions, arrests, and summonses. This system of mass incarceration is problematic on numerous levels, but especially in how it disproportionately affects African-American children. This thesis specifically focuses on the school-to-prison pipeline as it impacts African-American children attending New York City’s public schools. To begin, this body of work examines what the school-to-prison pipeline is and how it is maintained in New York City schools. Then, using data collected from published reports and research, this work concludes that African-American students are more severely impacted by the school-to-prison pipeline than other students, especially White students. Although African-American students make up a small percentage of the public school student enrollment, they are suspended and arrested at double the rate of their enrollment. This epidemic is discriminatory, and has a negative impact on the success outcomes of these students. Ultimately, this body of work aims to increase awareness about what the school-to-prison pipeline is, and how it is destroying the future opportunities of America’s African-American children.
