Cohen Applauds New Administration Guidelines to Cut Short "School-to-Prison" Pipeline
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today applauded President Obama’s Administration for issuing new guidelines for public school officials aimed at cutting short the “school-to-prison” pipeline that is both expensive and disproportionately harmful to minority students. The guidelines encourage schools to redesign disciplinary policies to use alternative conflict resolution methods including counseling and recommend using law enforcement solely as a last resort in disciplinary incidents. Just weeks ago, Congressman Cohen reintroduced the Restorative Justice in Schools Act in the U.S. House of Representatives to address this issue.
“With these helpful guidelines, President Obama’s Administration took a positive step towards cutting short a cycle that is disproportionately harming minority communities. By redesigning school disciplinary policies and training educators in alternative conflict resolution methods that yield better results for everyone, we can keep our young people out of jail, provide better outcomes and improved healing for victims, and save the country money. I applaud the Administration’s new guidelines and will continue working to pass the Restorative Justice in Schools Act in Congress.”
Congressman Cohen’s Restorative Justice in Schools Act would reduce youth incarceration throughout America by helping train school personnel such as teachers and counselors in innovative conflict resolution methods that are less likely to result in non-violent juveniles entering the penal system. Currently, many school systems involve the police in non-violent incidents on school property, which helps feed the “school-to-prison” pipeline when other methods may be more effective and produce more positive outcomes.
“Unless dealt with early and effectively, young perpetrators of minor, non-violent offenses can unnecessarily fall into a pattern of violent conduct later in life,” said Congressman Cohen. “Instead of focusing on conflict resolution methods that could limit this cycle, too often our schools rely on overly harsh punishments like incarceration that feed the ‘school-to-prison’ pipeline. Our schools can and should do better for our young people—and my Restorative Justice in Schools Act will help them do that.”
The legislation would allow local education agencies and school districts to use their current federal funding to provide training in “restorative justice” methods. Restorative justice can serve as cost-effective and useful alternatives to the more punitive conflict resolution methods used by many schools to resolve minor student conflicts, such as involving the police.
The victim-centered restorative justice process holds offenders accountable to their victims and their communities, helps offenders understand the impact of their actions, and gives the wronged party an opportunity to have a voice in resolving the conflict—which can assist in the healing process and prevent victims from becoming aggressors.
The Restorative Justice in Schools Act is cosponsored by Representatives Michael Capuano (MA-07), Wm. Lacy Clay (MO-01), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Keith Ellison (MN-05), Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Bennie Thompson (MS-02).