S. HRG. 112–848 ENDING THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION DECEMBER 12, 2012 Serial No. J–112–95 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary ( ENDING THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE S. HRG. 112–848 ENDING THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION DECEMBER 12, 2012 Serial No. J–112–95 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 86–166 PDF WASHINGTON : 2012 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont, Chairman HERB KOHL, Wisconsin CHUCK GRASSLEY, Iowa DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah CHUCK SCHUMER, New York JON KYL, Arizona DICK DURBIN, Illinois JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota JOHN CORNYN, Texas AL FRANKEN, Minnesota MICHAEL S. LEE, Utah CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware TOM COBURN, Oklahoma RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut BRUCE A. COHEN, Chief Counsel and Staff Director KOLAN DAVIS, Republican Chief Counsel and Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS DICK DURBIN, Illinois, Chairman PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island JON KYL, Arizona AL FRANKEN, Minnesota JOHN CORNYN, Texas CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware MICHAEL S. LEE, Utah RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut TOM COBURN, Oklahoma JOSEPH ZOGBY, Democratic Chief Counsel and Staff Director WALT KUHN, Republican Chief Counsel (II) C O N T E N T S STATEMENTS OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS PAGE Leahy, Hon. Patrick J., a U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont .................... 3 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 111 Durbin, Hon. Dick, a U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois .............................. 1 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 113 Blumenthal, Hon. Richard, a U.S. Senator from the State of Connecticut ........ 5 WITNESSES Witness List ............................................................................................................. 39 Scott, Hon. Bobby, a Representative in Congress from the State of Virginia .... 5 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 41 Davis, Hon. Danny, a Representative in Congress from the State of Illinois .... 7 Delisle, Ms. Deborah, Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Sec- ondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC .............. 9 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 45 Hanes, Ms. Melodee, Acting Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Deliquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice ................................................................................................................... 12 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 58 DeWine, Hon. Michael, Attorney General for the State of Ohio, Columbus, Ohio ....................................................................................................................... 21 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 67 Dianis, Ms. Judith A. Browne, Co-Director, Advancement Project, Wash- ington, DC ............................................................................................................. 22 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 80 Ward, Mr. Edward, Blocks Together, Dignity in Schools Campaign, Chicago, Illinois ................................................................................................................... 25 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 105 Coulson, Mr. Andrew J., Director, Cato Institute Center for Educational Free- dom, Washington, DC .......................................................................................... 27 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 98 Teske, Hon. Steven, Chief Judge, Juvenile Court of Clayton County, Georgia, Jonesboro, Georgia ............................................................................................... 29 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 71 QUESTIONS FOR WITNESSES Questions submitted by Senator Al Franken for Hon. Deborah Delisle, Ms. Melodee Hanes, and Hon. Steven Teske ............................................................ 115 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Responses of Hon. Steven Teske to questions submitted by Senator Franken .. 118 Responses of Hon. Deborah Delisle to questions submitted by Senator Franken ................................................................................................................. 122 Responses of Ms. Melodee Hanes to questions submitted by Senator Franken . 131 MISCELLANEOUS SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD Advocates for Children and Youth; statement ...................................................... 136 Advocates for Children’s Services, Legal Aid of North Carolina; statement ...... 139 Advocates for Justice and Education, Inc.; statement .......................................... 148 Alabama Youth Justice Alliance (AYJA); statement ............................................ 152 (III) IV Page Alliance for Excellent Education; statement ......................................................... 154 American Bar Association; statement by Laurel G. Bellows, President ............. 156 American Federation of School Administrators, AFL-CIO; statement by Diann Woodard, President .............................................................................................. 163 American Federation of Teachers; statement ........................................................ 164 Anti-Defamation League; statement ...................................................................... 166 Boston Parent Organizing Network (BPON); statement ...................................... 169 Statement of Roger Dickinson, California State Assembly Assemblymember, 7th District ........................................................................................................... 170 California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye; statement ............................... 176 The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth; statement ............................... 179 Campbell County School District #1, Gillette, Wyoming; statement .................. 181 Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST); statement .................................. 183 Center for Children’s Advocacy; statement ........................................................... 190 Center for Community Alternatives, Inc.; statement ........................................... 193 Center for Law and Education; statement ............................................................ 202 Center for Law and Education; appendix .............................................................. 203 Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice; statement ............... 204 Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc., statement ....... 211 Child Care Association of Illinois; statement ........................................................ 216 Children’s Defense Fund, Washington, DC; statement ........................................ 219 Children’s Law Center, Inc., Lexington, Kentucky; statement ............................ 230 Children’s Rights Clinic, Southwestern Law School; statement .......................... 241 Christine Agaiby, JD, University of Northwestern Law School; statement ....... 244 Citizens for Juvenile Justice (CFJJ), Boston, Massachusetts; statement ........... 246 City of Santa Monica, California, Department of Community and Cultural Services; statement .............................................................................................. 253 Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Washington, DC; statement ................................ 255 Community Conferencing Center, Baltimore, Maryland; statement ................... 262 Congressman Robert C. ‘‘Bobby’’ Scott; appendix ................................................. 265 Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance, Bridgeport, Connecticut; statement ...... 268 Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA), Towson, Maryland; statement .............................................................................................................. 274 Council of State Governments Justice Center; statement ................................... 278 Countywide Family Development Center, Inc., Laurel, Mississippi; statement 288 DC Lawyers for Youth (DCLY); statement ............................................................ 290 Dignity in Schools Campaign; statement .............................................................