Tri-Co Philly: History & Politics of Punishment: The School to Prison Pipeline

POLS 20E | Wednesday, 12:00–3:00 p.m.
Keith Reeves, Swarthmore College

This inter-disciplinary upper-level seminar will explore the complex school policies, teacher instructional decisions, as well as historical, political, social, economic, cultural, and structural forces that have given rise to documented reality of the “school-to-prison pipeline.” More specifically, what policies and practices within a school’s learning environment push students out of the education system and into the juvenile and adult criminal legal systems? Why do the consequences fall so heavily and disproportionately on minority and low-income students? What is the impact on childhood and learning “joy?” What is the role of law enforcement?  Are there other stakeholders whose involvement exacerbates the school-to-prison pipeline? What is the impact on family structure, upward mobility, and neighborhood stability?  And finally, what can educators and other stakeholders do to prevent and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline? 

Over the course of the semester, we will be joined by several key stakeholders (i.e., teachers and school administrators, prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement personnel; take a tour of one of the local Philadelphia jails; and visit Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site).