Zero Toleration Summary

According to Feierman, (2013) Zero tolerance laws and policies in schools—those requiring suspensions, expulsions, and court referrals as a response to school-based misbehavior—play a central role in the growing school-to-prison pipeline. Many zero tolerance policies dictate that certain school-based offenses be referred to police. Even without direct referrals, however, suspension and expulsion often lead to a student’s first steps toward justice system entanglement. One study showed that a student who is suspended or expelled is nearly three times more likely to encounter the juvenile justice system the following year, even controlling for individual characteristics and environmental factors.
Moreover, suspensions and expulsions lead to severe