A Critical Race Policy Analysis of the School-to-Prison Pipeline for Chicanos

Abstract

School discipline policies such as zero tolerance have not proven to be an effective way to keep schools safe. Chicana/o youth are the fastest growing population nationally and also within the prison system. School discipline policies have undergone extreme shifts over the last two decades. The purpose and outcome goals for school discipline policies have changed so dramatically that it is difficult to unfold the original intent of such policies. It is important to understand the ways in which color-blindness plays a significant role in school discipline policies and implications. The qualitative component includes student narratives and interviews with a juvenile judge and state legislator. The narratives in this research work to create a counterstory in this chapter to re-tell or counter-tell the existing stock stories about Chicano experiences with discipline in schools. Preliminary analysis of student data found dramatic patterns of disproportionality among discipline infractions for Chicano and White students.