CINCINNATI — Facing economic disadvantages, mental health challenges and a lack of support are huge contributions to students entering the juvenile justice system.
According to data from ACLU Smart Justice Ohio and the Youth Activitist Coalition, Black students in the Cincinnati Public School system are more likely to be placed in the school-to-prison pipeline.
A case study on Cincinnati Public Schools shows Black students make up 63% of the district, stating Black students are five times more likely than white students to be disciplined without being given the chance for a less severe punishment.
"And if you look at school, exclusion numbers. They are also disproportionately impacted by school exclusionary policies. So whether they're suspended or expelled, they're much more likely to than a white student, unfortunately," said Angela Chang, director of the Youth Defense Division and Hamilton County public defender.
The research shows Black students make up 85% of in-school suspensions, 78% of expulsions, 93% of out-of-school suspensions and 89% of police referrals.
During the 2022-2023 school year, 81% of students expelled qualified as economically disadvantaged. A study from the Ohio Department of Education states, "That year, Black male students were 4.3 times more likely than white male students to be suspended or expelled, and Black female students were 6 times more likely than white female students."
"I just hope that all the stakeholders are folks that have a say in what happens, whether it be the school or the court system or the police, that we could really get together and figure out how to tackle this and how to best allocate resources," Chang said. "So, the school can provide that level of care, and hopefully prevent kids from seeing me"
The study shows most youth involved in the Ohio Department of Youth Services come from Ohio's largest counties.
But what is the solution to tackle this issue? Candice Tolbert is the executive director of Super Seeds, a program aimed at disrupting the prison pipeline for youth and hoping to be an alternative to the suspension program.
"It's not going to be one program. It's not one solution, but understanding, if you bring collaborative organizations together, and we can all work together, eliminating the barrier of financial responsibility," Tolbert said. "We know that these programs cost money, but it also shouldn't be competitive, right? We can all work together, because the outcome is, we need them seated into the classroom."
