How Reading is Connected to Incarceration Rates in the USA

By Damien B

This article identifies our tragic historic school-to-prison pipeline on having a lack of educational funding and proper educational funding.

This discourages me from believing in the justice system and gives me little faith in our police force. It is sad to see people put in a position that they have no control over.

Here are some reasons why I believe the school to prison pipeline exists:

1. It is a lot cheaper and easier to send kids to a juvenile detention center instead of helping them out.

2. It’s a lot easier to just pass a student without teaching them properly so kids keep going through the system.

3. A lot of students aren’t even on the right level of reading since teachers don't have the proper resources.

4. Teachers don't have the time or have overpacked classes. Due to this a lot of kids stay behind and especially minorities since they try to find ways to make ends meet. They could be struggling financially at home or either it's not property acquitted for them so they have to find other ways to do things. That's what causes them to burst out to be violent and through that, they end up in juvenile detention.

It doesn't help that we spend more money keeping kids locked up instead of providing proper education and funding for schools. Once you are in the system the pattern will continue till your 18th birthday when your record gets expunged. But due to already being so used to the system you continue that criminal behavior.

We need to improve the education system and introduce classes that teach you your rights. Also laws so you could better interact with officers so you know what to do in case you're in a position that you could be arrested.