Institution Analysis: The

Correlation of the Education

and Prison Systems
Cynamon Mantley
Sociology 1
Professor Prior
21 February 2016

History of Education

Education is intended to be an equal right for all

United States citizens.
It transformed in the second half of the 20th century
This transformation came after the groundbreak
Supreme Court ruling, Brown vs. Board of Education
in 1954
This ruling stated that separation of black and white
students was inherently unequal thus dismissing the
separate but equal law that was in place beforehand.
It has been debated that despite this ruling, education
has not been equally distributed in society based on
ones socioeconomic status and race.

Above: An image of an all white school

auditorium versus an all black school
auditorium. Example of inequalities in
education system and these
inequalities still exist today.

Prison System in the U.S.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU):

the U.S. has more than 20% of the world's prison population, making them the worlds
largest jailer.
From 1978 to 2014, our prison population has rise a staggering 408%
1 in 110 adults are incarcerated in prison or a local jail making it the highest rate of
imprisonment in U.S. history.
These staggering statistics show us that our criminal justice system is failing and many
prisoners are in prison for minor offences due to the infamous War on Drugs started
in 1968 by former President Richard Nixon
The war on drugs continued to be embraced by preceding presidents and the result has
been overcrowding in prisons and lives ruined.
Since 1972, the number of people incarcerated has increased 5-fold without a
comparable decrease in crime or drug use. (Gainsborough J)

Here is an illustration of the gravity of the incarceration rates here in

the United States from 1920-2014. The spike is both shocking and a
wake up call to how much our criminal justice system needs to be
reformed.

How the two Systems connect

The School-to-Prison pipeline is the policies and practices of schools that push
children, especially those at risk, out of prison and into the prison system.
The pipeline is an illustration of how much more of a priority filling prisons has become
instead of filling classrooms.
In the 1990s, two national trends accelerated the effects of the "school-to-prison
pipeline." Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia changed their laws to try more
children in criminal court and incarcerate more children in adult jails and prisons.
During the same time period, school suspensions and expulsions rose dramatically as a
consequence of national, state and local zero-tolerance policies.(Tulman)
According to author and law professor at the University of the District of Columbia,
Joseph B. Tulman, many of the children who are pushed into the prison system are
troubled youth with learning disabilities

How the two System connect (Continued)

Studies suggest that approximately 70 percent of incarcerated children have

education-related disabilities that qualify them for services under the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. (Tulman)
By looking at the policies such as zero tolerance and expulsion that have been put
into action, it is evident that the connection between school and prison is clear
The issue does not stop at learning disabilities that hinder these children from
receiving an adequate education, it is also race
It is no shock that ...the delinquency judge pointed out that the children referred
were virtually all African American, and the judge concluded ruefully that the net
effect was a steady resegregation of the public schools. (Tulman)

Resegregation of Education and how it affects students

School integration peaked in 1988 and has been declining ever since, according
to a study published in May by the Civil Rights Project at the University of
California, Los Angeles (UCLA). (Karaim)
It is being argued that public schools are starting to resegregate and this
segregation shows the educational disparities in terms of resources that are
available to elite schools versus poor schools.
Felix Schein, a spokesperson for Students Matter, is quoted saying If you're a
poor African-American or Latino, you're much more likely to get a chronically
underperforming teacher,
Therefore, in districts with prominent numbers of African American and LAtino
students, the teaching standards can be below par based on tenure laws that make
it hard for young teachers to come in and encourage students.
Inequality in the education system due to ones race and socioeconomic status is
how a child is labeled and victim to fall into crime.

Labelling and how this affects children

When a child is given the label of being troubled can discourage a child from
wanting to come to school thus explaining increased numbers of absences
By failing to meet a childs accommodations for their learning disabilities or their
mental health issues, the educational system is telling them that they are not
worth troubling over
With policies such as Zero Tolerance and expulsion put into place, these
children are not given the help that they need. Without the help they need, they
are pushed into delinquency
They are not provided the resources they need to succeed and then they are
blamed for criminal activity after years of being ignored by the system
Too often the system focuses on when a child does wrong than focusing on how
they can help prevent that child from doing wrong.

Zero Tolerance, Expulsion, and how they

perpetuate the Prison Pipeline

...today students in the United States are suspended for minor infractions such as disrupting class,
not wearing a school uniform, chewing gum or using a cell phone. (Rosen)
Critics say get-tough discipline has disproportionately targeted minority and disabled students
and created a school-to-prison-pipeline.(Rosen)
...Russell Skiba, a school psychology professor at Indiana University in Bloomington, said the
[race] disparity rate is not the result of minority students misbehaving more than their white
peers. In one of his own studies, Skiba found that even when controlling for poverty and student
behavior, black students were suspended or expelled at rates 1.5 times those of whites (Rosen)
By punishing children and pushing them out of school, it leaves them more opportunity to fall
into crime.
Many of the students affected by these policies are students of color. The policies are implemented
differently in low income schools than in more elite schools therefore, it creates two different life
paths for the students who are in the school system. One group is being socialized and taught to go
to college while the other is being groomed for prison.

Zero Tolerance, Expulsion, and how they perpetuate

the Prison Pipeline (Continued)

...we are paying nearly fifteen times the amount of money to keep kids in jail than
we are to keep them engaged and excited about school. (Kaufman)
Children need to be encouraged to want to better themselves and blaming them is
not how to keep them out of prison
It is vital to implement programs in schools that allow children to stay interested
and encourage them to do well in school
By cutting funding for services necessary to help these children succeed, the kids
are being told to figure it out for themselves and this approach has not been
ending in good results and an example can be seen in how much our prison
population has increased over the decade.
Strict rules such as zero tolerance do not give children chances. Instead it pushes
them away from education and can push them towards prison.

A solution to Zero Tolerance

Restorative justice is an approach that empowers students to resolve conflicts

either on their own or in groups
The idea is to bring school communities together and ask them to work together
to better the conflicts that arise among them
This approach shows great results according to Matt Davis who wrote that ...the
benefits are clear: early-adopting districts have seen drastic reductions in
suspension and expulsion rates, and students say they are happier and feel safer.
This approach prevents children from being pushed out of school for minor
offences and promotes community building and stronger communal bonds
amongst students
It promotes keeping children in school and it is a new, effective approach to help
children stay off the streets and in school .

Importance of Youth Programs in Society

Youth programs are important because they encourage youth development and can
help children feel more involved instead of making them feel unwanted
Youth development is a process that prepares young people to meet the challenges of
adolescence and adulthood through a coordinated, progressive series of activities and
experiences that help them to become socially, morally, emotionally, physically, and
cognitively competent.
This process is important because it can help keep children out of trouble and into
programs that can help them do better in school and integrate better into society.
Good examples of youth programs that help children educationally are the Boys and
Girls Club and the YMCA
Good examples of a youth programs that encourages youth development are the Boy
Scouts of America because it helps young boys become socially, morally, emotionally,
and physically competent. Girls Scouts of America provides the same developmental
benefits for young girls.

Prison System and Reform

The system is set up for failure. The institutional mind-set is, 'We don't have
enough money to deal with your issues, but we have enough money to catch you.'
It's like shooting fish in a barrel. (Katel)
...the more education you have when you leave [prison], the better off you're
going to be. It's not in dispute. (Katel)
By setting up educational programs in prison for inmates, it gives them more
opportunity when they get out and it also costs the taxpayers less
Taxpayers pay less because the more opportunities a former inmate has then the
less likely they are to return to prison
Many inmates return to prison due to the lack of resources provided to them once
they leave prison
They are not allowed to vote and are given very little job opportunites.

Another illustration of the gravity

of imprisonment in our criminal
justice system and how much it
affects minorities.

Is the System Working against Reformed prisoners?

Lawmakers have also been hearing from people on the front lines of law
enforcement, who complain they have to deal with a constant stream of newly
released inmates with few prospects for building law-abiding lives. (Katel)
Paul Logli, the state's attorney in Rockford, Ill., and chairman of the board of the
National District Attorneys Association [is quoted saying] We need to develop
meaningful re-entry programs so those . . . who have already been convicted and
sent to prison can somehow be reintegrated back into our societies with a chance
to succeed, (Katel)
Prisoners need to be given more opportunities once they leave jail in order to
ensure that they will not be going back to jail.
By helping them reform then we are ultimately ensuring public safety and not
only saving tax dollars but also bettering their lives

Re-entry Programs for Former Inmates

Prison Fellowship: This is a program dedicated to helping former inmates

reintegrate into society.
According to their website they offer: mentorships, life-skills training, marriage
and parenting classes, and other programs that teach personal responsibility, the
value of education and hard work, and care for people and their property, so that
prisoners are prepared to thrive in their communities after release.
The importance of education and personal responsibility are key points to reentry programs because education helps teach the values of society and eases the
integration process.
Programs such as Prison Fellowship help prisoners overcome their personal
demons through support and this support should have been offered to them while
they were still in school and in need.

Re-entry Programs for Inmates

(Continued)

Delancey street is an organization that helps former convicts, the homeless,

substance abusers and others who have hit rock bottom
The members of Delancey Street are called residents and they receive a degree
as well as job training in 3 marketable skills.
According to their website: Delancey Street is the country's leading residential
self-help organization for former substance abusers, ex-convicts, homeless and
others who have hit bottom.
The organization teaches residents the importance of not using violence and
Interestingly, former gang members, who have sworn to kill each other, live and
work together peacefully starting in dorm-rooms and moving up into their own
apartments. Residents learn to work together promoting non-violence through a
principle called each-one-teach-one where each new resident is responsible for
helping guide the next arrival.

Why are Re-entry programs important?

Re-entry programs are important because they can give former inmates a purpose
after prison
While in prison, a prisoner is completely re-socialized and must learn to be
controlled constantly. What they eat, what time they eat, where they sleep...all of
these elements are controlled for them.
Therefore, when they come back to society it can be hard for them to adjust thus
showing the importance of these programs
They help prisoners reclaim their identities and provide them with the education
and job skills they need to succeed.
With these skills, prisoners can lead successful lives and create new socialized
identities for themselves in society. They go from being labeled a menace to
society and are looked at as successfully reintegrated members of society.

Theories Applied: Functionalist and Conflict

Functionalist: From a functionalist point of view, prison is a good deterrent to

prevent people from committing crimes. It can work as an equilibrium in society and
serve as a useful tool to prevent crime.
A functionalist also views education as a powerful tool in society and would argue
that it reflects the cultural norms and values. Education is a tool that promotes
upward mobility and according to a functionalist, is distributed equally to all
students. It helps promote socialization, social integration, social placement, and
social and cultural innovation
Conflict Perspective: From a conflict point of view, prison is an unjust system that is
controlled by laws that have been created by a few powerful men to control society.
According to this theory, the poor and powerless are more likely to fall victim to
being put in prison due to lack of resources and opportunities in their communities
and lack of representation in court

Theories Applied: Functionalist and Conflict

Therefore a person being in prison based off of their race according to a conflict
theorist is possible due to how little opportunity they are given in society to
succeed thus eliminating their chances of upward mobility.
For a conflict theorist, education promotes inequality through different methods
used by the school such as standardized testing which singles out students who
are not performing up to the government standards of education
Also, schools have different economic means and therefore, some schools have
better resources than others.
The lack of resources in some schools could lead to learning disparities in the
education system thus encouraging social inequality and again showing evidence
to why the School-to-Prison Pipeline exist.

Conclusion

The connection is clear: education influences how a person grows and develops as
a person
It teaches them the social values of society and helps them stay out of trouble
However, when children are not being properly educated or ignored because of
their learning disabilities then it makes them stray away from school and into
crime
By getting into crime, these children are thrust into the pipeline and not provided
many opportunities to escape
However, after school programs and youth programs can help keep children out
of jail and keep them interested in extra-curricular activities that could also
encourage them to do well in school
Unfortunately, if the end result for these children is jail then the best thing for
them to have are re-entry programs that can help them socialize back into society
and provide them with second chances.

Works Cited
Chapter 16 Section B Sociological Perspectives on Education." Chapter 16 Section B Sociological Perspectives on Education. 6 Oct. 2013. Web.
22 Feb. 2016.
Davis, Matt. "Restorative Justice: Resources for Schools." Edutopia. George Lucas Educational Foundation, 04 Oct. 2013. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
Delancey Street Foundation - About Us - Who We Are." Delancey Street Foundation - About Us - Who We Are. Delancey Street Foundation,
2007. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
Katel, Peter. "Prison Reform." CQ Researcher 6 Apr. 2007: 289-312. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
Karaim, Reed. "Race and Education." CQ Researcher 5 Sept. 2014: 721-44. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
Kaufman, Peter. "The School-to-Prison Pipeline." Everyday Sociology Blog. W.W. Norton and Company Inc., 3 Aug. 2015. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.
Moore, Lisa D., and Amy Elkavich. Whos Using and Whos Doing Time: Incarceration, the War on Drugs, and Public Health.American
Journal of Public Health 98.5 (2008): 782786. PMC. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
"Prisoner Reentry Support - Prison Fellowship." Prison Fellowship. Prison Fellowship, 2016. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
Rosen, Anne Farris. "School Discipline." CQ Researcher 9 May 2014: 409-32. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

Works Cited (Continued)

Stucki, Bryce Wilson. "Rethinking zero tolerance: a new approach to discipline seeks to keep kids in school and, ultimately, out of prison." The
American Prospect 25.3 (2014): 7+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
"The Prison Crisis." American Civil Liberties Union. ACLU. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
Tulman, Joseph B. "Time to reverse the school-to-prison pipeline." Policy & Practice Mar. 2008: 22+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21
Feb. 2016.
"What Is the School-to-Prison Pipeline?" American Civil Liberties Union. ACLU. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
"Youth Development and Leadership in Programs." Youth Development and Leadership in Programs. Institute for Educational Leadership, 11
Jan. 2005. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.