Given tremendous negative societal effects of mass incarceration, the social work profession's investment in the Grand Challenge to Promote Smart Decarceration, and the call for criminal justice transformation, educational content that prepares social work students to engage in smart decarceration efforts is essential. This article presents…

This article examines how a structural pedagogical innovation facilitates classroom discussion around topics such as social justice and equality. The authors examine one innovation called the Inside-Out model, a program where incarcerated and nonincarcerated college students take courses together inside prison. Because the program's aim is to…

This grounded theory study applies both critical race theory and anti-deficit frameworks to recognize the systemic barriers that are in place to limit the success of formerly incarcerated Black students and challenges anti-deficit perspectives that fault those affected by oppressive systems rather than the systems themselves. This qualitative…

Continued use of exclusionary disciplinary actions such as suspensions and expulsions in schools has led to an increase in the number of Black males entering the school-to-prison pipeline. This study examines administrator perspectives on how utilizing SEL practices influences student behavior and how utilizing SEL practices impact administrators'…

Children and adolescents are imprisoned every day in juvenile detention institutions across the United States (Sickmund, 2002). Many adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) will struggle upon their release from juvenile detention center when attempting to reintegrate into society, with their family, and their school. Recidivism…

The problem for this study was the lack of research about what teachers consider to be the successes, the risks, and the potential dangers of working in a school prison setting. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate teacher perceptions about successes, risks, and potential dangers of teaching in a prison school setting. This…

Across the United States a significant number of individuals find themselves incarcerated each year. For the state of Florida, this number represents one of the highest in the country (Carson, 2021). Prior research has indicated that incarcerated populations across the country tend to have a lower literacy level and less education experience than…

Mathematics teaching usually occurs in a "public space"--e.g., a classroom is a public space with rules defining student and teacher roles that cultivate hierarchic relationships. Working in prison with young inmates (18-23 years old) from marginalized populations, we promoted alternative "common spaces" (physical and symbolic)…

Topic: School-to-Prison Pipeline and the School Policing of African American Students. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the lived experience of teachers of African American pupils who are at risk of being moved into the School-to-Prison Pipeline. African American students are being dismissed from public school…

This study addresses two areas of need in the literature. First, we recognize the impact of experiential-learning on student outcomes and fewer opportunities within the social sciences. Second, as academics in criminal justice and education, we are aware of educational needs of incarcerated persons. The current study blended together…

Violent youth crimes fell by 64 percent between 2008 and 2018 (Figure 1). For the last three years, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has failed to specify the offense type for nearly 90 percent of youth arrests in San Francisco (CJCJ, 2018). However, arrest data over the last ten years show declines in violent arrests across all age…

I began my life as a prison theatre artist 25 years ago. Over the years, through first-hand experience with prisoners, their families, and others, I came to understand some of the more oppressive elements of the state prison system, and the relation of that system to the larger prison-industrial complex. This essay is a reflection on the key…

To fully grasp the systems of oppression youth of color must navigate, educators must consider their experiences outside as well as inside the classroom. This paper adds to the small but growing body of literature across fields highlighting how Black and Latinx youth are simultaneously positioned by schools and the justice system as criminals that…

With growing public attention to the problem of mass incarceration, many individuals want to know about the vast rise in women's incarceration rates; particularly concerning, the increase of mothers in prison. For many mothers, the only source of hope and motivation they have while involved in the criminal justice system is the connection with…

Background/Context: Although the uprisings in the summer of 2020 amplified existing abolitionist organizing, including abolitionist struggles for justice within K-12 schools, it is unclear if the field of teacher education has been informed by these movements. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: Given this gap, as well as the…