Building a Movement to Stop the School to Prison Pipeline
Roughly 56% of African American youth in the juvenile justice system report a prior school suspension.
40% of Louisiana’s youth are locked up for nonviolent offenses.
Many previously incarcerated children drop out of school carrying heavy individual cost and placing significant burdens on society.
In Louisiana children are being pushed into incarceration as a result of “zero-tolerance” policies and high school suspensions. Each year there are approximately 300,000 suspension and expulsions in Louisiana. There were over 80,000 disciplinary actions taken in the 2009-2010 school year for willful disobedience alone, a vaguely defined and arbitrarily enforced offence.
Research shows a strong correlation between harsh discipline practices, dropout and incarceration.
FFLIC’s 50/2017 Campaign clearly outlines goals and programs to stop the school to prison pipeline and ensure that every child who enrolls in school has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential instead of being ushered into the prison system.
