Suspensions can cause kids to disengage from school, fall behind in their classes, and drop out or be pushed out, which is one of the strongest indicators of criminal legal system involvement for youth. But suspensions can also change how kids see themselves, their sense of belonging, and how authority figures treat them. More recent research suggests that these impacts can serve as a turning point in kids’ lives that leads to a higher incidence of involvement with the criminal legal system. A study of children assigned to different Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools found that kids at stricter middle schools were 17% more likely to be arrested and 20% more likely to be incarcerated as adults. 

Unsurprisingly, Black students are suspended at more than three times the rate of their white peers, although there is little to no evidence that Black children misbehave more or more severely at school.

Enter parents like Zakiya Sankara-Jabar. Already juggling college and parenting, Zakiya never planned on being an advocate. But when her three-year-old son was repeatedly suspended from his Pre-K program, she came to see the power of ordinary parents like her to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. She started reading articles that quickly made clear that her son’s school experience was not an isolated incident but a systemic one. Zakiya began organizing other parents to fight back against racist, punitive school discipline under the banner of Racial Justice NOW!. Partnering with the Dignity in Schools Campaign, these parents pushed Dayton Public Schools to stop suspending pre-K students, stop suspending any student for “disruptive behavior,” and remove zero-tolerance policies from its code of conduct. They also graded over 1,000 districts across Ohio with school discipline report cards, putting a spotlight on punitive practices statewide. And they brought restorative justice programs into 10 schools as an alternative to punishments like suspensions.