School to Prison Pipeline

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is one of the nation's foremost defenders of civil liberties and civil rights. Their mission is to defend and promote the fundamental principles and values embodied in the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the New York Constitution, including freedom of speech and religion, and the right to privacy, equality and due process of law for all New Yorkers.

With youth advocacy focused around the "School to Prison Pipeline," military recruitment, teen health, and LGBTQ youth, this organization is leading the rebellion on youth rights in NYC!

In the summer of 2007, the NYCLU partnered with youth from three community organizations – Future of Tomorrow, Make the Road New York and Youth on the Move – to produce three short documentaries on student experiences with the over-policing of New York City schools and the School to Prison Pipeline. The NYCLU supported the youth in creating their own videos using their own words and footage.

The documentaries feature over a dozen youth discussing the School to Prison Pipeline as well as school safety agents, police officers, metal detectors, the over-reliance on suspensions, over-emphasis on discipline, and criminalization of students. If ordered, the films are accompanied by a School to Prison Pipeline Toolkit that includes information on the issues and ways to take action.

Check out Schoolhouse to Jailhouse, Make the Road New York’s Youth Power Project (below).

To view all three videos click here.

For more information about this project or the School to Prison Pipleline, please visit the NYCLU website.

"My Existence is a REBELLION!" - Taina Asili, poet