By JAKKAR AIMERY
Capital News Service
LANSING — Statewide and national educational organizations are working with the Michigan Attorney General’s office to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline that disproportionately hurts Black students.
Michigan Education Association President Paula Herbart said her union is working on the issue with Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office “to look at systemic ways — not only in the student code of conduct — but in how our disciplinary actions in public schools helps perpetuate the disproportionate number of students of color who are subject to these regulations at an unfair rate.”
Herbart said the Department of Education has a system that identifies school districts with disproportionate discipline rates for students of color and are actively working to change disciplinary codes, improving their diversity culture for students and community relationships with districts.”
According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, the school-to-prison pipeline is a trend where students are channeled out of schools and into juvenile and criminal justice systems.
In addition, the MEA has partnered with its parent organization, the National Education Association, to wrestle with the controversial question of police officers in schools.
Herbart said while her union does not represent school safety officers, also known as school resource officers, she is a strong proponent of removing them from public schools.
“When you have armed people in schools, schools become prisons,” she said. “While it may make some people feel safe, armed people in schools make a lot of people feel unsafe and that is not OK.”
Nessel said student safety is just as important as not making them feel as though they are in prison. She said uniformed officers carrying visible firearms in school are detrimental to a good learning environment.
“(Officers) openly carrying weapons are a distraction in a school environment,” Nessel said. “I think nonuniformed officers with backgrounds in counseling can be effective in ensuring safety because they are seen as more of a counselor instead of a cop.”
Nessel said the work group formed with the NEA and the MEA will aggressively develop restorative justice programs in schools so police aren’t approached as the first solution to problems.
In contrast, she said she’s hoping for mass production of programs where fellow students hear, try and determine penalties for violators.
“This provides an opportunity (for students) to learn a little about the justice system without going into the criminal justice system directly,” she said.
Other organizations in the state are also looking at ways to interrupt students from entering the criminal justice system.
Jasahn Larsosa is the founding director of Advocacy, Equity & Community Empowerment for Focus: HOPE, a Detroit nonprofit advocacy, equity and community empowerment organization.
He says the school-to-prison pipeline harms Black and brown students through loss of time, income and resources.
“We’re recognizing that it’s not merely a pipeline, but rather a waterfall and a nexus,” Larsosa said. “There are all kinds of policies that work together to conspire and put our young Black and brown people in contact with the criminal justice system.”
Larsosa said his organization focuses on the ramifications of students having contact with the criminal justice system.
He said its priority is dismantling systems that require his organization’s advocacy and services.
Additionally, he said in 2020 — a census year — 8,000 of the 38,000 inmates who entered state prisons listed Detroit as their most recent address, benefiting rural counties where prisons are located.
“Those are resources that do not come to Detroit and are not available to fund institutions and programs that ensure that opportunities are in place for formerly incarcerated people to meet their needs,” Larsosa said.
Larsosa said that his organization’s objective is to implement community-led research practices to elevate the voices of those hurt by the pipeline.
Its partnership with Wayne State University and the University of Michigan received a $400,000 grant, of which $16,500 went to four community-based research teams to pursue research ideas for disrupting the pipeline.
“Embedding pro-Black tenants in the learning allows teachers, educators and future decision makers to develop policy through these lenses, which result in keeping our kids out of the criminal justice system,” Larsosa said.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on April 12 to clarify the role of Jasahn Larsosa and the grant to Focus: HOPE, Wayne State University and the University of Michigan.