The School-to-Prison Conveyor: Intervening Early and Preventing Criminalization of Youth

  • Unique Paper ID: 195700
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 11
  • PageNo: 1804-1811
  • Abstract:
  • The school-to-prison conveyor is a significant problem driven by the practices which push students and policies that helps in regulation, especially from the marginalized communities, without educational environments and are involved in the criminal justice system. Factors involve zero-tolerance policies, disproportionate disciplinary actions, criminalization of minor infractions, a presence of the resource officers and police in schools to contribute in this issue. The article focuses on addressing this issue which requires early intervention and prevention strategies. Implementing restorative justice programs, Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and providing mental health services can create a more supportive school environment . Engaging parents and the community, reforming school policies, and training teachers to recognize and address implicit bias are essential steps. Additionally, creating inclusive and supportive school climates and adopting alternative disciplinary approaches can significantly reduce the negative impacts of the conveyor. Successful case studies have shown that these interventions can lead to positive outcomes, underscoring the need for federal and state policy changes and local school district initiatives. Focusing on early intervention and prevention can help demolish the school-to-prison conveyor and will also create a more supportive along with an equitable educational system for all students.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{195700,
        author = {Nisha Garg},
        title = {The School-to-Prison Conveyor: Intervening Early and Preventing Criminalization of Youth},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {11},
        pages = {1804-1811},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=195700},
        abstract = {The school-to-prison conveyor is a significant problem driven by the practices which push students and policies that helps in regulation, especially from the marginalized communities, without educational environments and are involved in the criminal justice system. Factors involve zero-tolerance policies, disproportionate disciplinary actions, criminalization of minor infractions, a presence of the resource officers and police in schools to contribute in this issue. The article focuses on addressing this issue which requires early intervention and prevention strategies. Implementing restorative justice programs, Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and providing mental health services can create a more supportive school environment . Engaging parents and the community, reforming school policies, and training teachers to recognize and address implicit bias are essential steps. Additionally, creating inclusive and supportive school climates and adopting alternative disciplinary approaches can significantly reduce the negative impacts of the conveyor. Successful case studies have shown that these interventions can lead to positive outcomes, underscoring the need for federal and state policy changes and local school district initiatives. Focusing on early intervention and prevention can help demolish the school-to-prison conveyor and will also create a more supportive along with an equitable educational system for all students.},
        keywords = {},
        month = {April},
        }

Cite This Article

Garg, N. (2026). The School-to-Prison Conveyor: Intervening Early and Preventing Criminalization of Youth. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(11), 1804–1811.

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