The school to prison pipeline and the voices of formerly incarcerated African American males

The school to prison pipeline is a phrase used to describe the phenomenon where youth, and disproportionately African American males, are pushed out of public school systems into criminal justice systems. It hints at the possibility that incarceration is not a matter of chance, but often a structurally created and supported outcome. In order to understand the men most disproportionately impacted by the phenomena this study explores the narratives of twelve formerly incarcerated African American men. Structural racism, challenges of school integrations and criminal justice policies emerge as powerful influences on the life outcomes of formerly incarcerated African American men. This study goes beyond statistical accounts of racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system to deeply consider the voices of generations of formerly incarcerated African American men. Understanding the impact of the school and justice systems on the lives of African American men has implications for educators and policy makers.