Policing the School-to-Prison Pipeline: A Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT

The implementation of school-based law enforcement officers, commonly referred to as school resource officers (SROs), became an increasingly popular response to school crime in the United States, particularly in the aftermath of high-profile school shootings in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Following the expansion of SRO programs came the growing concern that SROs hypercriminalize trivial student misbehavior, contribute to a culture of youth punishment and control, and are instrumental in facilitating a link between schools and the juvenile justice system. Therefore, it is necessary to better understand what schools and police departments can do to foster a positive school climate without violating the rights of students. Drawing from qualitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews from a sample (n = 20) of school resource officers in a southeastern city, the current work examines how one SRO program is addressing these challenges. Policy recommendations for the use of school resource officers are addressed.

KEYWORDS:

• School resource officers
• school policing
• school-to-prison pipeline

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Prior to conducting these interviews, approval was granted by the University’s Human Subjects Review Committee, and authorization to conduct these interviews was obtained from the Chief of Police and the Superintendent of Schools. The SROs were informed of the voluntary and confidential nature of this study and were provided with the option of withdrawing from the study at any time.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Caitlin G. Lynch

Caitlin G. Lynch is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. She conducts research in the areas of police and society, and school crime and inequality.

Allison T. Chappell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Florida. She conducts research in the areas of juvenile justice, policing, and inequality.