"School to Prison" pipeline documentary in the works

Law students, Brandi Bullock and Joshua Byrd want to do something to curtail the high incidence of students of color entering the criminal justice system.

They believe all to often, schools rely on law enforcement, rather than teachers and administrators, to handle minor school misconduct. The pair, both in their final year of law school, have decided to produce a documentary on the subject of what many now refer to as the "School to Prison" pipeline.

The "School to Prison" pipeline is a disturbing national trend wherein children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Many of these children have learning disabilities or histories of poverty, abuse or neglect, and would benefit from additional educational and counseling services. Instead, they are isolated, punished and pushed out. "Zero-tolerance" policies criminalize minor infractions of school rules, while high-stakes testing programs encourage educators to push out low-performing students to improve their schools' overall test scores. Students of color are especially vulnerable to push-out trends and the discriminatory application of discipline.

Tune in to the People's Studio to find out why Bullock and Byrd believe the "School to Prison" pipeline is one of the most important civil rights challenges facing our nation, and  why they believe their documentary will make a difference.