Zero tolerance, pipeline to prison

Florida NAACP officials continue to blast the state for school zero tolerance policies that disproportionately affect minority students. Here's the most recent blast, as reported last week by the Florida Courier:

"When we suspend a kid, we send him straight to the streets and into gangs," said Florida NAACP Criminal and Juvenile Justice Chair Dale Landry. "We are complaining about gangs, but not saying anything about the Department of Education sending them to gangs."

"With the current education tax cuts, we will see zero tolerance intensify the school-to-jailhouse pipeline, further burdening the court system where they can't deal with true violent crimes instead of petty discipline cases. The educational system, not the teachers as much as the administrators, are abdicating their roles."
The comments were tied to a summit on zero tolerance co-sponsored by the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Education, the Florida State Conference of the NAACP and other groups. The St. Petersburg Times wrote about the NAACP's concerns in 2006, after it released this study.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Comments

[patcon]

Zero-tolerance policies are largely a result of schools' fear of lawsuits from various advocacy groups when justice is meted out on a case-by-case basis with due consideration given to the particular circumstances. Rather than have to deal with explaining that in one case the "weapon" was a butter knife which fell out of a box when the student was moving and in the other case the "weapon" was a switchblade being used to threaten a student in the restroom, we just say "weapon" and punish both the same. Hence, big penalties for what are in some cases minor offenses.

Granted, there were abuses in the past when the disadvantaged were punished more severly than the priviliged; and this is wrong. But does anyone think that zero-tolerance policies are implemented any more fairly now?

If I were a black person I would be so embarrassed over things like this. Stupid NAACP.

[fred]

Zero tolerance doesn't send kids from "school-to-jailhouse" It is the poor choices of the criminals that send them to jail. I have a really simple solution for these kids the NAACP is so concerned with- stop breaking the rules- then you won't be suspended. How about the fact that schools bend over backwards to avoid suspending these chronic offenders. Also- want to solve the achievement gap? Check out the demographics of the kids wandering the halls, rather than learning in class.

[fedupmom]

ah yes...to the court system a petty discipline problem is bringing a gun/switchblade to school....

Sorry but the majority of good kids and taxpayers are fed up with the juvies.

Send them away packing no matter what their color.....follow the rules or wear stripes.....The dept of educ. is just as strapped as juvie is....complain to the legislators....

How about terminating more of those pregnancies so that neither system gets burdened in the future....now there's a novel idea!

[terminator]

typical NAACP blather.

try exercising some responsibility and take control of your communities rather than continuing to blame "whitey" for all of your problems.

where are all the black "fathers"? how come they don't support their "kids"? most seem to be sperm donors for future welfare/thug life pups.

how come over one third of all black males are in prison, on parole, probation or some form of community control?

how come one third of all black males don't graduate from high school?

cut the crap guys and stop living off excuses. the civil rights movement is dead and no one is buying your liberal BS anymore.

keep up the good work guys!
you are destined to genocide your own race through your irresponsible actions.

the NAACP, the most useless special interest group in the country!