Four Black female judges use their courtrooms to break the school-to-prison pipeline
Criminal justice is not the only focus of the program. The judges discuss making healthy life choices and maintaining a positive image.
J. Gabriel Ware / YES! Magazine / News Report - September 20, 2018
One hundred teenagers pack into a courtroom at a Dallas, Texas District Court. But the teens aren’t in legal trouble. They are participating in an after-school program aimed at keeping them out of the criminal justice system.
Some reluctant teens are unengaged, fiddling with their cellphones. One distracted student suspects his girlfriend is flirting with a guy in another group. He charges across the courtroom. “I’m going to kill you,” he yells before he puts her in a headlock. The bailiff intervenes, catching a punch to the face. The students watch transfixed as a fierce scuffle ensues between the bailiff and the teen before eventually the disruptive student is arrested and taken away.
“He just racked up four or five charges in a manner of seconds,” Judge Stephanie Mitchell announces. “It really happens that fast in real life.”
https://www.nationofchange.org/2018/09/20/four-black-female-judges-use-their-courtrooms-to-break-the-school-to-prison-pipeline/
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