The Prison Path

The Prison Path: School Practices that Hurt Our Youth takes a unique and unapologetic look into the practices, social norms, construction, and policies within our schools that mirror prisons. From the physical building to the labeling and placement of special education students, schools are reflecting correctional institutions. Beyond the mundane and into the world of social cliques, discipline policies, uniforms, and ethics, this book highlights how similarities between schools and prisons create a hidden and dangerous environment for at-risk students.
While many schools and teachers are doing the best they can while facing budget shortfalls, it is the inherent policies, procedures, and normalities that are thought of as being part of the school experience, that may be the most hazardous for at-risk students. Therefore, this book highlights these occurrences and juxtaposes them with similar situations within prisons, providing an eye-opening and daunting look at prisons and schools.
This book will cause teachers and those within education to question the practices, policies, and norms that we consider part of the typical school experience. Some additional key features of this book include:
Chapter by chapter examination of the similarities in prisons and school Detailed look at the process of special education labeling and its detrimental impact on studentsExamination of the role of social cliques and gangs in institutionsA unique look at the school-to-prison pipeline In-depth questions to ask oneself about to improve schoolsDangers of inviting school resources officers into schools and cutting guidance services Real-life scenarios

Christen E. Clemson grew up in a small farming community in Northeast Ohio, where she was involved in her community and excelled in athletics. Athletics then led her to The Pennsylvania State University, where she competed for five years and went on to earn her bachelor's in Secondary in Education, a master's in Educational Leadership, and soon she will be finishing her Doctorate in Educational Leadership.

Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: School: Why We Do What We Do
Chapter 2: Prison: The Historical Underpinnings
Chapter 3: Endow, Judge, and Accept: The Power and Morality of the Institution
Chapter 4: Special Education or Prison Sentence
Chapter 5: Space, Place, and the Power of the Box
Chapter 6: High School Clique or Prison Gang
Chapter 7: Why Me? Ethics, Ethical Leadership, and the Danger of its Absence
Chapter 8: Charter Schools versus Private Prisons
Chapter 9: School Discipline and Juvenile Justice-One in the Same?
Chapter 10: Our Future