First Ever Congressional Hearing to "End the School-to-Prison" Pipeline

Re-posted with permission from Justice for Families

For the first time ever, as far as we know, Congress is holding a hearing on "Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline." The hearing will take place Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. This is an incredible opportunity and comes as result of the hard work of amazing organizations such as Dignity in Schools, the Advancement Project, Books Not Bars, and many others too numerous to list. Justice for Families will be represented at the hearing by Co-Director Grace Bauer along with local partners. As they debate the "fiscal cliff," Congress should be made aware that low-income youth and youth of color have been pushed out of schools and 'off the cliff' for decades. Justice demands a wholesale reassessment of our priorities and reinvestment in an equitable educational system and meaningful job opportunities for all youth. The idea that we can't afford to make these investments crumbles under the weight of massive well-funded youth and adult prison systems. Justice for Families is submitting testimony to Congress urging them to do two things:

1) Support families navigating the juvenile justice system by advancing legislation and supporting programs that make it easier for families to keep their children in school and out of the justice system; and
2) Follow the lead of states that have embarked upon "justice reinvestment" initiatives to reallocate resources away from failed 'tough on crime' policies toward direct investments in the communities most harmed by them.

Please support our work by making a donation. Your contribution is fully tax-deductible.

If you are in or near DC, please attend the hearing. Justice for Families is a member of Dignity in Schools and we are following their lead in helping to get youth, families and concerned community members to this hearing. So please email us if we can help you get people to the hearing (you can just reply to this message).

If you can't make the hearing. Please check out our testimony to Congress and let us know what you think. Justice for Families is building grassroots power to impact local and national policy that impact families of system-involved youth and we need your support.

Below you will find a series of family interviews detailing just what families go through and demonstrating why our work is necessary. (Thanks to Richard Ross and his students at University of California at Santa Barbara for their support in putting these videos together).

With Appreciation,

Zachary Norris and Grace Bauer