Jordan Dunbar
Deprivation of Liberty
March 2, 2016
Professor: Doug Ryan
The Pipeline Must Be Redirected
I will be examining policy through the social disorganization theory. This theory speaks to the idea that one’s environment plays a large part in whether or not they are prone to commit crime. The idea can be simplified as being a product of one’s environment. In this paper I will be examining this theory and how is applies to the “school to prison pipeline.” The school to prison pipeline is referencing the path kids take from the negative public school environment, to the street, to prison. Using the social disorganization theory as a lens to look at this “pipeline” will allow me to brainstorm ways in which the theory explains the problem, …show more content…
These issues in the public school system cause an “increase in disengagement.” The schools lack basic educational tools to help kids succeed. The classrooms may be over crowded, they may not have enough books, adequate teachers, school counselors etc. All of these factors make it easy for kids to not be given the attention required to keep them believing school is necessary. Another factor of this pipeline is that a lot of kids have a “zero-tolerance policy.” “Overly harsh disciplinary policies push students down the pipeline and into the juvenile justice system.” This is saying that the extreme policies that aren’t giving kids second and third chances, or are punishing them regardless of circumstances, cause these kids to be suspended or expelled. Leading to more time unsupervised without constructive activities and into the hands of the juvenile justice system. If the social disorganization theory tells us that it is the factors around these kids that cause them to fall into negative habits, it should be the next step to think, “how can we combat the negativity and lack of social buffers in order to sway these kids from following the footsteps of so many around them?” However, instead of …show more content…
Kids are put back in the same situation they left and expected to learn to not make similar mistakes. However, if we look at this situation through the lens of the social disorganization theory we see that while in the system, the social buffers are now beyond nonexistent. The kids are only seeing people who made mistakes as they did. Everyone is on the same level, there is no one to look up to for positive encouragement other than the people that police them. That would just put the kid in the mindset to be more inclined to step out of what is socially accepted and to do what is familiar. By doing that they end up in the system once again. “Following release from an institution, juveniles are often ordered to a period of aftercare which is similar to parole supervision for adult offenders. Juvenile offenders who violate the conditions of aftercare may have their aftercare revoked, resulting in being recommitted to a facility. Juveniles who are classified as youthful offenders and violate the conditions of aftercare may be subject to adult sanctions.” This is the post juvenile detention routine, explaining just how easy it is to go back and forth into the system once one is released. In this “aftercare” the kids are once again surrounded only by kids in similar situations. They generally have one enemy and that is the people in charge. Looking at this through the lens of social disorganization shows the same result being in juvenile
Deprivation of Liberty
March 2, 2016
Professor: Doug Ryan
The Pipeline Must Be Redirected
I will be examining policy through the social disorganization theory. This theory speaks to the idea that one’s environment plays a large part in whether or not they are prone to commit crime. The idea can be simplified as being a product of one’s environment. In this paper I will be examining this theory and how is applies to the “school to prison pipeline.” The school to prison pipeline is referencing the path kids take from the negative public school environment, to the street, to prison. Using the social disorganization theory as a lens to look at this “pipeline” will allow me to brainstorm ways in which the theory explains the problem, …show more content…
These issues in the public school system cause an “increase in disengagement.” The schools lack basic educational tools to help kids succeed. The classrooms may be over crowded, they may not have enough books, adequate teachers, school counselors etc. All of these factors make it easy for kids to not be given the attention required to keep them believing school is necessary. Another factor of this pipeline is that a lot of kids have a “zero-tolerance policy.” “Overly harsh disciplinary policies push students down the pipeline and into the juvenile justice system.” This is saying that the extreme policies that aren’t giving kids second and third chances, or are punishing them regardless of circumstances, cause these kids to be suspended or expelled. Leading to more time unsupervised without constructive activities and into the hands of the juvenile justice system. If the social disorganization theory tells us that it is the factors around these kids that cause them to fall into negative habits, it should be the next step to think, “how can we combat the negativity and lack of social buffers in order to sway these kids from following the footsteps of so many around them?” However, instead of …show more content…
Kids are put back in the same situation they left and expected to learn to not make similar mistakes. However, if we look at this situation through the lens of the social disorganization theory we see that while in the system, the social buffers are now beyond nonexistent. The kids are only seeing people who made mistakes as they did. Everyone is on the same level, there is no one to look up to for positive encouragement other than the people that police them. That would just put the kid in the mindset to be more inclined to step out of what is socially accepted and to do what is familiar. By doing that they end up in the system once again. “Following release from an institution, juveniles are often ordered to a period of aftercare which is similar to parole supervision for adult offenders. Juvenile offenders who violate the conditions of aftercare may have their aftercare revoked, resulting in being recommitted to a facility. Juveniles who are classified as youthful offenders and violate the conditions of aftercare may be subject to adult sanctions.” This is the post juvenile detention routine, explaining just how easy it is to go back and forth into the system once one is released. In this “aftercare” the kids are once again surrounded only by kids in similar situations. They generally have one enemy and that is the people in charge. Looking at this through the lens of social disorganization shows the same result being in juvenile