Baltimore's School to Prison Pipeline

In my spare time lately, I have been reading The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander’s 2009 best-seller about mass incarceration in America and its creation of a new “underclass” comprised overwhelmingly of people of color. A professor recommended the book to me last semester, saying it was important for understanding the lives of many young people in Baltimore. Looking into the data on mass incarceration in Baltimore, the numbers are staggering. Baltimore holds only 10% of Maryland’s population, but 35% of the prison population. 96% of these prisoners are male, and 71% are black.

Even more disturbing is research showing that Baltimore’s school system compound these disparities from a very young age. In the 2016-2017 school year, Baltimore City suspended 6,778 students, including 413 Pre-K-1st graders and 1,942 2nd-5th graders. For every 100 African American students, there were 9.49 suspension incidents, while there were only 3 such incidents for all other races combined. Additionally, school police are stationed on many campuses, allowing students to be arrested for minor infractions during the school day. This has led to a number of disturbing violent incidents, and nearly half of surveyed students claim that the school police use excessive force. A statement from the U.S. Department of Justice adds that “the city routinely blurs the distinction between the BPD and school police in a way that undermines accountability and sets the stage for abuses.”

Fortunately, it does seem that Baltimore City is attempting to tackle these injustices. A new discipline plan intended to reduce suspensions--including restrictions on the suspensions of children from Pre-K through 2nd grade--was introduced in February, and numbers are already beginning to decline. Schools are learning to use restorative practice and teach socioemotional skills instead of simply punishing students. The district has also made an effort to address the actions of school police officers, leading to a 91% drop in student arrests since 2008. There is still much work to be done, but Dr. Santileses and her team seem to be taking the task seriously.

Campus Safety Staff. (2017, July 19). Baltimore City Schools’ Police Officer Arrest Rate Drops 9 Percent. Retrieved from https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/safety/baltimore-city-schools-police-officer-arrest-rate-drops-91-percent/

Policing School Police. (2016, August 14).   Retrieved from http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-school-police-20160814-story.html

JKA: Student Discipline Annual Report School Year 2017-2018 (2017). Retrieved from http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/bcpss/Board.nsf/files/ASEQCX65B1C1/$file/JKA-%20Student%20Discipline%20Annual%20Report-%20School%20Year%202017-2018%20v2.pdf

Richman, T. (2017, September 27). Survey of Baltimore students indicates better relations with school police, excessive force still a problem. Retrieved from http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-ci-student-police-survey-20170927-story.html