The Mental Health Impacts of the School-To-Prison Pipeline

The school-to-prison pipeline funnels children of color with mental illness directly into the juvenile justice system. A restorative justice framework can help stop that from happening.

Happy Sunday! Before we get to EQ Collective Reporter Ozi Ojukwu’s article on the mental health impacts of the school-to-prison pipeline, we wanted to ask for your feedback on EQ Collective’s offerings so far. If you have 5 minutes, please click the link below to fill out a brief 4 question survey. It’s completely anonymous, so don’t be afraid to tell us how you really feel.

And now: Ozi’s piece on the school-to-prison pipeline.

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In her 2016 book Pushout, Dr. Monique Morris recounts the story of Salecia Johnson, a Black girl from Georgia who in 2012 was arrested for throwing books, toys, and wall hangings. Johnson was six and in kindergarten at the time of her arrest on April 13, 2012. In addition to being handcuffed, Salecia was hauled to the police station. According to her mother, Constance Ruff, Salecia repeatedly screamed, “They’re coming to get me!”

This story highlights one of the relationships between the school-to-prison pipeline and mental illness: entering the pipeline may produce symptoms of trauma. While many relationships between these variables exist, the restorative justice movement in schools provides hope that such phenomena can be ameliorated.

Students with Mental Illness and the School-to-Prison-Pipeline

As defined by the American Bar Association, the school-to-prison pipeline encapsulates the theory that certain kinds of school discipline push students toward involvement in the juvenile or adult justice systems. Since the school-to-prison pipeline places young students in an unusual environment, questions as to students’ wellbeing arise. For example, one might be justified in asking whether students with pre-existing mental illnesses enter the pipeline at higher rates than neurotypical and well-adjusted students.

According to the American Psychological Association, students with disabilities experience suspension and expulsion at twice the rate of students without disabilities. This carries importance because suspension doubles the likelihood of involvement in the criminal justice system.

In addition, students of color with disabilities “face increased disproportionality across harsh discipline categories.” Specifically, Black students with disabilities represent 19% of all K-12 students with disabilities but 36% of students with disabilities suspended from school.

We know from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that 50% to 70% of inmates in the juvenile justice system meet the criteria for having a mental disorder. In addition, according to researchers Ian Lambie and Isabel Randell, between 70% and 95% of youth detained in the juvenile justice system have at least one psychiatric diagnosis along with coexisting mental health problems. Moreover, Black students comprise 40% of those expelled during the school year, and around 59% of those arrested and referred to law enforcement per 2013-14 data, making it likely that some also have mental illnesses while in jail. Even worse, evidence suggests that time in the juvenile justice system exacerbates their existing symptoms.

Mental Illness Within the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Unfortunately, evidence also shows that time in the juvenile justice system produces symptoms of mental illness or decreases mental health. According to a 2019 report from the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, 45% of girls detained in the juvenile justice system report five or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which results in exposure to trauma in the prison/jail environment. For example, female victims of commercial sex trafficking may be prosecuted for prostitution even though they are too young to give consent to sex. This means that they may be punished for being victims of trauma, which is itself traumatizing. The report states:

Thus, for girls of color, exposure to trauma constitutes a risk factor for juvenile justice system engagement. Sexual abuse is a predictor of girls’ entry into the juvenile justice system, essentially creating a pathway from sexual abuse to prison.

Detention can also be traumatizing for trauma survivors, providing evidence that the school-to-prison pipeline produces mental illness for girls.

Moreover, in specific populations of youth offenders, mental health impacts one’s life outcomes after release from jail. According to Lambie and Randell, “Research also suggests that psychiatric disorders among youth offender populations are associated with significantly poorer outcomes following release, including increased recidivism, suicidality, substance use problems, hospitalization and use of psychiatric services” among females as compared to males. This exemplifies how the school-to-prison pipeline produces mental health problems in young people and correlates with Georgetown’s report on trauma in Black girls who suffer ACEs and their experiences in the school-to-prison pipeline.

The Treatment of Children’s Mental Illness in Jail

Additional research illustrates the ways mental illness among children is treated in jail. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reported that “despite court mandates, there is a significant lack of access to adequate mental health care in incarcerated settings.” This lack of quality means that youth with mental health issues risk breaking jail rules, meaning ineffective punishments like solitary confinement or lack of participation in activities remain possible.

Corrective Solutions to the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Despite the reality of youth incarceration from schools, there exist effective solutions to the school-to-prison pipeline. One framework is the restorative justice model. According to the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality (GCPI), restorative justice is an evidence-based practice used to build relationships to improve school climate, respond to conflict and misconduct, and support individual and community well-being. This directly impacts the school-to-prison pipeline by reducing discipline disparities.

Restorative justice practices include both positive and negative approaches to discipline. Positive approaches include the development of community, practicing social-emotional learning (SEL), and empowering youth by developing resilience. Negative, reactive responses include addressing infractions, repairing harm, and restoring relationships without external (i.e., police or legal system) help immediately.

The GCPI reports that as of November 2020, 21 states and the District of Columbia have laws promoting restorative justice practices in schools, and 32 states and Washington, D.C. have laws regulating exclusionary school discipline.

In addition, the American Psychological Association reports of “diversion” practices that serve to discipline students without sending them to prison or helping them after arrest. Related to restorative justice, diversion practices have two forms: pre-arrest and post-arrest. A pre-arrest example may include screening and assessment for mental illness, service learning, and quality recreation programs in schools, community sites, or the youth’s home. Post-arrest diversion programs might include prevention programs, which the Philadelphia Police Department did in 2014 across all schools in response to the disproportionate rate of arrests in the 2013-14 school year.

Even though the school-to-prison pipeline remains a reality to the present day, restorative justice provides reason to hope that one day, school will be an equitable place for all students.