Disabling the School-to-Prison Pipeline

The so-called school-to-prison pipeline has been the focus of numerous articles, books, and opinion papers for the last several decades. Most previous discussions of this phenomenon have concentrated on the question of why so many minority students eventually wind up being incarcerated at much greater levels than majority (white) students. Vernikoff builds on this body of research by looking at the incarceration likelihood of students with disabilities who eventually become entangled with the American judicial system. She posits that there might be risky school practices that increase the probability that students wind up in prisons or jails and that students’ actions and behaviors are insufficient to explain the outcomes many special education students experience… Vernikoff uses student interviews and substantial data on multiple school variables to explain what might contribute to the probability that any given student will come into contact with the criminal justice system. The study yields some very surprising results. Recommended. General readers, graduate students, faculty, and professionals.

* Choice Reviews *

[T]his book provides an important and intimate account of the STPP for students with disabilities, capitalizing on personal experiences and incorporating student voices. Using the NYC public school system as an example, Vernikoff clearly establishes that a better understanding of how schools contribute to the STPP will help policy makers and educators engage in continued efforts to block the pipeline and support more equitable educational outcomes for all.

-- Teachers College Re