This video story was produced and reported by Payton Kirol.
Thousands of children in the United States are taken out of schools and oftentimes arrested every year for breaking minor rules. The difference, however, is that the punishments seem to differentiate based on the color of the student’s skin.
“There is systemic racism, there is systemic inequality, and there is systemic injustice,” said Donald Lott, a teacher and advocate of the PaceWorks program.
Students of color in Florida are two and a half times as likely as their white peers to be removed from classrooms and forced into criminal justice systems. According to the Civil Rights Data Collection, children of color receive significantly harsher punishments than white students for the same infractions. Clarissa Davis, a Reach therapist, says that there is “no gap” between criminal justice systems and prison.
“It’s just like a big leap from school to jail. It’s disproportionately targeting specific youth minorities,” says Davis.
African-American children represent 32 percent of children who are arrested, and 42 percent of children who are detained. This is despite the fact that they only make up about fifteen percent of the population. This is know as the school-to-prison pipeline, and the Pace Center for Girls is doing everything in its power to dismantle it.
“That’s kind of where it starts, really validating, empathizing, and acknowledging that this is real. This is really happening, and you aren’t crazy for thinking that you were unfairly targeted and put at a disadvantage,” said Clarissa Davis.
Pace is an educational program that has helped 40,000 teens cope with trauma. This extends further than trying to prevent unjust sentences and punishments. Some girls entering the Pace program have experienced sexual abuse and/or neglect. Other girls have gotten into trouble for skipping school due to financial hardships, or drug usage within their families. Because of this, sometimes conditions like ADHD may go undiagnosed for years, which plays a glaring role in their academic struggles.
Stephanie, a former Pace student herself, says that sending kids away to a detention center won’t fix any issues. In fact, it will create more of them.
“A kid with ADHD can be very smart, but have troubles applying themselves to school. Many times the teacher will just see that as a distraction to the other students. Over time, the condition isn’t recognized and it causes students to stress out when they haven’t been trained to properly handle stress,” said the former beneficiary of the program, whose name we are withholding.
When her dad died years ago, Stephanie said, she didn’t open up about her emotions, and began to face anxiety. As a result, it affected her schoolwork.
“I couldn’t take 10 steps into the lunchroom. It was overwhelming,” said Stephanie.
After her dad’s passing, Stephanie came to Pace to seek help. Pace was able to provide her the physical and mental support she needed to flourish.
“I was very isolated when I first got there. But as I started to open up to my group, I became more comfortable. After that, it was all about getting the right counseling”, admitted Stephanie.
In addition to giving girls an alternate to traditional schooling, Pace also provides in depth emotional and psychological counseling for the girls and their families.
Davia Lerebours, executive director of PACE Hillsborough, says that once the girls “start having dreams and aspirations, they become more motivated and start working towards their goals.”
Thanks to Pace, Stephanie now has an exciting career ahead of her.
“I definitely see myself being a senator”, says the enthused former student.
Over 90 percent of girls who graduate from the Pace program will continue their education or get a job.
“When they all realize how amazing they are, what they can do, what they can achieve, all of the valuable skills that they have, they really start to view themselves differently. Ultimately, it will change the way they interact with the rest of the world”, says Clarissa Davis.
