Building Blocks for Youth On-Line Newsletter
February 20, 2003
This edition will focus on the latest Building Blocks for Youth initiative report, "Unintended Consequences: The Impact of 'Zero Tolerance' and other Exclusionary Policies on Kentucky Students" released today. In this newsletter, you'll find:
- New Building Blocks for Youth report "Unintended Consequences"
- Advocates speak out on findings in "Unintended Consequences"
- Fact Sheets on Zero Tolerance Policies, Resources, and Other Key Studies
- Building Blocks for Youth Network Information
New Building Blocks for Youth report "Unintended Consequences: The Impact of 'Zero Tolerance' and other Exclusionary Policies on Kentucky Students"
The Building Blocks for Youth initiative released "Unintended Consequences: The Impact of 'Zero Tolerance' and other Exclusionary Policies on Kentucky Students" today. The study, written by David Richart of the National Institute on Children, Youth & Families at Spalding University in Louisville, KY, Kim Brooks of the Children's Law Center in Covington, KY, and Mark Soler of the Youth Law Center in Washington, D.C., analyzes the impact of "Zero Tolerance" and other exclusionary policies on students in Kentucky's public schools.
The report presents four major findings:
- Violent juvenile crime is not a serious problem in Kentucky's public schools, and the overwhelming majority of referrals from schools to juvenile courts are for status offenses;
- School officials in Kentucky use out-of school suspension excessively;
- School officials refer inappropriate matters to the courts and the referrals are beginning to overwhelm Kentucky's juvenile and family courts;
- Kentucky's African-American youth are suspended from many schools at rates far higher than the suspension rates for Kentucky's white students;
The report provides recommendations for action for five groups: (1) parents and students; (2) principals and site-based decision-making councils; (3) local school superintendents and school boards; (4) the Kentucky Department of Education; and (5) juvenile justice system personnel.
Recommendations include:
- For Kentucky school administrators to provide a safe environment for students, but not one that relies on harsh and inflexible "zero tolerance" policies;
- For school officials to exercise sound discretion in matters of alleged misconduct-discretion that considers the individual student and the particular circumstances of the incident;
- For students to be removed from school by suspension or expulsion only as a last resort;
- For administrators to develop alternatives to out-of-school suspension and expulsion to hold students accountable;
- For school districts to insure that their disciplinary policies and practices do not fall disproportionately on youth of color.
To obtain the full report and press releases, visit: http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/kentucky
Advocates speak out on findings in "Unintended Consequences"
"This report is extremely timely. Its major findings-that the vast majority of school disruption is non-dangerous, that school suspension tends to be overused for relatively minor disruption, and that the primary victims of school removal are African-American, are highly consistent with two recent national reports, and with research data going back twenty five years."
--Russell Skiba, Associate Professor of Counseling and Educational Psychology at Indiana University.
"This report documents that our schools are suspending and even worse, locking up, school children for minor adolescent behavior that used to require a trip to the principal's office. From the schoolhouse to the jailhouse they go, with little opportunity to learn. This is especially true for African-American youth."
--Judith A. Brown, Senior Attorney at The Advancement Project in Washington, DC.
"In addition to the problem with suspensions, we found that many, many youth are being referred to Kentucky's courts for minor and mischievous behaviors that are not criminal. Zero tolerance policies seem to be a back-door way of getting rid of certain kinds of students."
--David Richart, Director of the National Institute on Children at Spalding University in Louisville and Report's Co-Author.
Fact Sheets, Resources, and Other Key Studies on Zero Tolerance Policies
The Building Blocks for Youth website maintains a general overview of Zero Tolerance policies, a list of resources for advocates working to reduce the use of Zero Tolerance policies, and a list of other key studies on the issue.
To obtain the fact sheet on Zero Tolerance, visit: http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/issues/zerotolerance/facts.html
To obtain the list of resources to address Zero Tolerance policies, visit:
http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/issues/zerotolerance/resources.html
To obtain the list of key studies on Zero Tolerance, visit:
http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/issues/zerotolerance/studies.html
Building Blocks for Youth Network
The Building Blocks for Youth initiative provides juvenile justice advocacy assistance and materials to constituency groups promoting juvenile justice reform, with a particular emphasis on addressing racial disparities in the justice system. The initiative provides materials such as talking points on current juvenile justice issues for use with the media, a media advocacy tool kit on juvenile justice, and hosts conference call briefings on juvenile justice issues. If you represent a national, state or local organization involved in promoting juvenile justice reform and are interested in participating in the Building Blocks for Youth Network, fill out the participation form on the initiative's website at:
http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/endorse.html
Contact information
For the latest Building Blocks for Youth Initiative reports, juvenile justice fact sheets, and materials, visit: http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org and subscribe to the initiative's on-line newsletter.
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Building Blocks for Youth
For a fair and effective youth justice system
...a comprehensive effort to protect minority youth in the justice system
and to promote rational and effective juvenile justice policies...
