According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the "school-to-prison pipeline,” is a disturbing national trend wherein youth are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal legal systems. Many of these youth are Black or Brown, have disabilities, or histories of poverty, abuse, or neglect, and would benefit from additional supports and resources. Instead, they are isolated, punished, and pushed out. 

In 2016, the Michigan Legislature passed a law that requires schools to identify learners who are struggling with reading and writing and to provide additional help. The law states that third graders may repeat third grade if they are more than one grade level behind beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. With many of the black and brown students in public schools in Urban communities across the state struggling academically even more post-COVID, addressing the correlation between literacy and the "school-to-prison pipeline" is at the forefront of our social justice efforts.