For us to talk about curing the problems of incarceration without addressing why it starts in the first place is merely placing a band aid on a sore. The problem is so severe that officials call it a pipeline to prison. They are talking about our schools. I found it shocking that the school problem could start so young. For those children of color who are lucky enough to go to pre-school or Head Start, these 4 and 5 year old children of color are several times more apt to have an out of school suspension. Not only will the suspended child feel labeled as bad, but the other children, both of color and white, will at this young age start the ingraining in their minds that blacks are bad.
As the student advances through the upper grades, miss-behaviors are treated within the school as well as out of school suspensions at a greater rate than those not of color. The in-school suspension will usually mean a trip to a separate room where they will miss out on lessons putting them behind. Out of school suspensions take them out of the teaching environment completely. When they return, the student has the stigma of failure as well as being a trouble maker and soon the other teachers as well as students will view them in that way. It is a small step to take this troubled youth out of the system and call the juvenile justice system.
Small changes in the school system could solve many of these problems at a much less cost than the legal system. Paying teachers equal pay as to their counterparts in suburban areas would help keep experience in the school. In school suspensions with continued teaching while in the suspension room would help keep the student abreast. Counseling and mental health evaluators could sort out those who have real mental health problems. Social workers that would investigate family life conditions might uncover abuse and living conditions that are unhealthy. Out of school suspensions is almost like inviting the student to go bad. The possibility of drug use, alcohol use and minor crimes such as shop lifting are common for these idle youths.
Black Girls
As I discuss the troubling youths, we must not overlook that the black girls will receive more suspensions than black boys. The end results of this can be seen as our numbers of imprisoned black women grows at an alarming rate. The reasons for this may be that school teachers are hired that have little if any experience teaching and have little previous contact with people of color. Girls brought up in a black culture are exposed to a culture far different from the culture of suburban areas. Many of their mothers are single and have poor paying jobs. Without the influence of a father figure, their controlling influence has been a woman who had to be tough and was the one who fought for what is right. The result is girls who are strong. A white teacher coming in from a suburban area will interpret this as insubordination and a reason for suspension. In addition, unsupported, unwed young student mothers are facing extra stress. In the home situation, they may have to care for younger siblings as their mother works more than one job to make ends meet.
There is more, make the jump!
Self-Worth
As we continue to discuss the black student, most will be attending an inner-city school. In almost all instances, the school will be an older building. In addition, there will be fewer choices of classes, the teachers will be paid less and the total amount spent on each student will be less than in the more affluent areas of the city. The entire educational situation says, “You are not as important as the white student”. Many times we become what is expected of us. The school acts like it doesn’t want the trouble maker and is quick to turn them over to the juvenile justice system and chances to become a productive citizen becomes even harder.
Even though there is no evidence that the black student is more disruptive than the white student, the expectation is there. Our society has this myth of black criminality. Because of our ingrained racial bias, we as white Caucasians believe that blacks, especially boys and men, are criminal.
In fact, the black youth has been put down so often, his own opinion of himself is bad. In Oakland California, the school began offering a course for those black boys who were failing. This course was called the “Manhood Development Program”. "When students begin the program, many of them define blackness in America to be ugly, to be bad and all of these negative attributes," ... "And then after being a part of the program and the brotherhood and learning about themselves, they start to identify as young kings, as scholars." We can start with helping the black student to have a good opinion of himself.
Part 3 coming as "Community Policing"