Event: Preventing the School-to-Prison Pipeline

The school-to-prison pipeline refers to a trend in which punitive school disciplinary policies and practices increase the likelihood that children will become involved with the criminal justice system. This event, which took place on April 12, 2018, featured an innovative, interprofessional partnership between lawyers from Massachusetts Advocates for Children and Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI) team members from Dimock Community Service Agency/Justice Resource Institute. The panelists highlighted systems-level approaches to combat the school-to-prison pipeline, including a discussion of current MA laws related to school discipline, safe and supportive schools, and pending legislation related to the use of student arrests in schools.