Halting the School-to-Prison Pipeline Stakeholders Convening
Event was held on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel during the 2023 ABA Midyear Meeting.
Sponsored by the ABA Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice, in Partnership with the University of Miami Law Hope Public Interest Resource Center
ABA Co-Sponsors: Council for Diversity in the Educational Pipeline, Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Section on Civil Rights and Social Justice, Section on State and Local Government Law, Center on Children and the Law, Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities, Commision on Disability Rights, National Conference of Administrative Law Judges
The school-to-prison pipeline – the various issues in our educational system that result in students leaving school and becoming involved in the criminal justice system – remains one of our nation’s most formidable challenges. The problem disproportionately affects students of color, students with disabilities, and students who identify as LGBTQ+. It generally arises from a series of policies and practices, namely implicit bias that results in low expectations of minoritized communities, incorrect referral or categorization in special education, inability to properly identify and accommodate mental health concerns, overly harsh discipline resulting in long-term or permanent separation from school, and interaction with law enforcement for low-level or non-violent disciplinary infractions.
In an effort to address these issues, COREJ, in collaboration with members and volunteers of other interested entities and the University of Miami HOPE Public Interest Resource Center, has taken a holistic view of legislative policies that impact the school-to-prison pipeline in an effort to develop a single legislative guide or “toolkit,” the goal of which is to provide examples of legislative language that can be implemented on the state and local level to end those policies and practices and ultimately dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline.
The Convening will provide an opportunity for stakeholders and others to review and comment on major components of the suggestions for legislative change and to discuss strategies forward. Both in-person and virtual options were available.