The Commemoration of Black August Event: Further Reflections on the School to Prison Pipeline (1-2 pts)

 Morgan Miller

Honors Reflection

October 15, 2025

Further Reflections on the School to Prison Pipeline

After attending the Honors Program film screening of Free Angela and All Political Prisoners, I walked away with questions about the American judicial system. For example, in the movie it’s said that third grade test scores are used when determining where to build prisons. This is just one area in which the school to prison pipeline manifests itself. Another example would be the metal detectors that have been implemented in various public schools across the country. In 2022, the Atlanta Public School system installed "body scanners" in all middle and high schools. These machines are used to recover any weapons students might attempt to bring into the building. They also have security present in school buildings, and officers are typically responsible for breaking up fights between students. While the Board of Education for APS has maintained that these security measures are to protect students from gun violence and prevent school shootings, there's been no statement released regarding the impact these security measures have on the students. Most middle and high schoolers are desensitized to the constant searches and hyper-vigilance of police officers. They don't find it strange that they walk through metal detectors or are approached with hand wands every morning because of a threat they pose to the safety of the school.

       By introducing students to such preventative measures early on, APS has shifted the mindset of their students. In 2022, data was collected to reveal that 73% of the student population was Black. When those same students are exposed to enforcement by officers and surveillance by staff, they are being conditioned into thinking they are criminal-adjacent. Students are being exposed early on to arrests within the building, and have begun to internalize the suspicion they face every morning so that they find themselves more accustomed to facing the threat of incarceration. While it looks much different today than it did in the 1970s, racial profiling is still prevalent almost every aspect of Black life, including the school system.