Symposium examines school-to-prison pipeline

 The Journal of Law in Society, a scholarly publication of Wayne State University Law School and the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, will hold a symposium titled “Deconstructing the School-to-Prison Pipeline” on Friday, March 25 at the law school.

Participants in the event, scheduled from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. in the Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium, will examine the phenomenon of the school-to-prison pipeline, which refers to the policies and practices that systemically push at-risk youth out of mainstream public schools and into the juvenile or criminal justice systems.

“The school-to-prison pipeline has been identified as one of the most important civil rights issues facing our nation today,” said Jason Eggert, editor in chief of The Journal. “We hope the symposium will provide a forum to discuss the potential solutions to this national crisis.”

Damon T. Hewitt, director of the Education Practice at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, will give the morning keynote address, and Russlynn H. Ali, assistant secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education, will deliver the afternoon keynote.

The event also will feature the following confirmed panelists:

• Panel I – Lost opportunities: The criminalization of students
Mark P. Fancher, staff attorney, ACLU of Michigan Racial Justice Project
Alexi Nunn Freeman, staff attorney, Advancement Project
Jeffrey L. Edison, attorney, National Conference of Black Lawyers
I. India Geronimo, director, Damon J. Keith Law Collection of African American Legal History at Wayne Law

• Panel II – Creating an educational environment
Bill Sower, former regional coordinator, International Institute for Restorative Practices
Delila Owens, assistant professor and coordinator, School Counseling Program, Wayne State University College of Education
Johanna Wald, director, Strategic Planning and Development, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice

• Panel III – Structuring legal reform
Justin Long, assistant professor, Wayne State University Law School
Kary L. Moss, executive director, ACLU of Michigan
Daniel J. Losen, senior education law and policy associate, the Civil Rights Project at UCLA

Event registration will begin at 9 a.m. Attendees will break for lunch at 12:15-1:30 p.m. and may attend a closing reception starting at 5 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

Visit http://law.wayne.edu/journaloflawinsociety/symposium.php for a full agenda.
 

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