I, like millions of other people have heard of the horrible, unfair and racist acts that occurred in various parts of Mississippi seemingly since the beginning of time.
While I was a student at Jackson State University located in Mississippi’s capital, the stories I read about and heard were reinforced; either by actual experiences I witnessed or even accounts from some of my peers who have lived in Mississippi their entire lives.
Considering all of this, I am rarely surprised when I learn of something negative occurring in the state. While I’m not generally surprised by some of the regressive characteristics of Mississippi, I often find myself wondering how certain ills and overtly discriminatory acts can continue to occur in this modern world where freedom and equality are supposed (emphasis on supposed) to be every human being’s right and government oversight is supposed to safeguard citizens.
Nonetheless, there is a recent report that has surfaced regarding yet another discriminatory practice in Mississippi.
The U.S. Justice Department recently released findings that officials in Mississippi’s Lauderdale County have violated the constitutional rights of juveniles – specifically those who are African-Americans or suffer from various disabilities – by operating “a school-to-prison pipeline.”
Students in Lauderdale County who commit minor infractions such as talking back and violating the dress code are taken to a juvenile detention center. Students in the Meridian, Miss., area are also required to serve any suspensions from school incarcerated in the juvenile detention center.
Three years ago, the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit organization that, among other things, works to end bigotry and discrimination filed a class-action lawsuit against Lauderdale County that alleged “children and teens were subjected to shockingly inhumane treatment.” Examples of the inhumane treatment included youths being “crammed into small, filthy cells and tormented with the arbitrary use of mace as a punishment for even the most minor infractions.”
The Department of Justice’s civil rights division seeks negotiations over the next two months to end the constitutional violations occurring in Lauderdale County, Miss. If no reasonable resolution is determined, the justice department will file a federal lawsuit against the state, county and local officials in Meridian.
Mississippi’s school-to-prison pipeline is a terrible attempt at disciplining children and it is even a poorer attempt at fairness and equality. To incarcerate children for suspensions or offenses such as flatulence and profanity is a blatant violation of youths’ constitutional rights. Not only is it an example of extreme intolerance, it also limits children’s future potential by giving them a criminal record for behavior that does not warrant time in jail.
I am a proponent of holding all people accountable for their actions and that includes children who misbehave in school. However, fair is fair and the happenings in Lauderdale County are anything but fair. I have heard of various scared straight programs and I believe some of those programs can really benefit youth by discouraging them from committing negative acts. But the folks in Meridian are making scared straight programs look like a fun day at the park.
The Department of Justice’s recent findings have me wondering why Meridian has adopted such an extreme procedure for minor offenses. Hate of minorities and disabled individuals could be one aspect, but I believe the culprit is even deeper. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks the school-to-prison pipeline currently mandated in Lauderdale County is because the juvenile correctional facility is privately-owned. Because the state pays a per diem for inmates, this entire issue could be about the almighty dollar rather than improving the behavior of youth.
Initiatives like the school-to-prison-pipeline predisposes our children to the criminal justice system and may even result in these youth being institutionalized, which can give them a mentality of futility. Rather than thinking they can be powerful, law abiding citizens who could actually make a positive difference in this world, institutionalization will make our children feel defeated and as if going to jail is normal.
If unfair initiatives like the school-to-prison pipeline continue, what will our future look like? How will such efforts affect the success of tomorrow’s families?
We must find fair and effective ways to reprimand our children. Officials in Meridian, Miss., need to be thrown under the jails they are sending our children to. Perhaps that will enlighten them a bit.
You can email comments to Shannon Williams at shannonw@indyrecorder.com.
