HUMAN RIGHTS: “School-to-prison pipeline” in Meridian Mississippi “shocks the conscience”
By Administrator
Our current Human Rights beneficiary Equal Justice Initiative is calling attention to a situation that “shocks the conscience” in Meridian, Mississippi — public school students being sent directly to prison for misbehavior in the classroom.
Meridian police automatically arrest public school students when called by school officials, often without determining if there is probable cause.
The US Justice Department has put local and state officials on notice. “These entities, working in conjunction, help to operate a school-to-prison pipeline that routinely and repeatedly incarcerates children for school disciplinary infractions,” said a letter from the Justice Department to Mississippi’s governor and attorney general.
Unfortunately, Meridian is not an isolated case. The ACLU has investigated other “school-to-prison pipelines,” alleging a disturbing national trend in the practice, which overwhelmingly impacts minority and disabled students.
Read the full article at EJI.org
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