Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/schooljustice23/public_html/components/com_mtree/mtree.tools.php on line 37
Zero Tolerance Policies: Criminalizing Childhood and Disenfranchising the Next Generation of Citizens
Columbine High School, Littleton, Colorado. Heath High School,
West Paducah, Kentucky.3 Westside Middle School, Jonesboro,
Arkansas. Zero tolerance policies5 were adopted in these schools and
around the country in response to tragic school shooting events. Under zero tolerance, students are suspended, expelled, or referred to juvenile authorities or some combination thereof for specified offenses. Zero tolerance policies punish students harshly regardless of the severity of the infraction, the existence of mitigating circumstances, or the context in which the conduct occurred. School shootings have garnered an extraordinary amount of attention not only because of the violence but also because they happened in schools, places that are supposed to be safe. While tragic, school shootings are unique events considering the number of schools that operate daily without incident. Yet, the policies that have developed in the wake of these acts have been misguided, especially as applied to childhood conduct. Kiera Wilmot is a prime example of this misguided application of these policies and the potential for irrevocable
harm.
West Paducah, Kentucky.3 Westside Middle School, Jonesboro,
Arkansas. Zero tolerance policies5 were adopted in these schools and
around the country in response to tragic school shooting events. Under zero tolerance, students are suspended, expelled, or referred to juvenile authorities or some combination thereof for specified offenses. Zero tolerance policies punish students harshly regardless of the severity of the infraction, the existence of mitigating circumstances, or the context in which the conduct occurred. School shootings have garnered an extraordinary amount of attention not only because of the violence but also because they happened in schools, places that are supposed to be safe. While tragic, school shootings are unique events considering the number of schools that operate daily without incident. Yet, the policies that have developed in the wake of these acts have been misguided, especially as applied to childhood conduct. Kiera Wilmot is a prime example of this misguided application of these policies and the potential for irrevocable
harm.
Listing Details
Link to Original Source
Resource Type
Journal or Publication
Washington University Law Review
Author
S. David Mitchell
Register for Updates
Please sign up to receive special email updates and alerts from the site, including our School-Justice Partnership Project Newsletter.