MAPS Interrupts the School to Prison Pipeline
In 2010, Manchester was among six towns in Connecticut having the most arrests in schools. There were 82 arrests in the Fall of 2010- just at MHS, creating concern among citizens and town officials. One year later, arrests dropped to 9 in the Fall of 2011. This steep decline is attributed to an initiative by MAPS (Manchester Agencies, Police, Schools)- Reducing Juvenile Arrest In Schools. The project is co chaired by Erica Bromley, Director of Manchester’s Youth Service Bureau and Heidi Macchi, Outreach Social Worker at MHS.
Bromley and Macchi appear on Manchester Review in February to discuss the program. Asked “has student behavior actually changed or have the adults just changed their reaction to it,” Bromley and Macchi assert that it’s both. Strategies have been implemented that avert arrests and programs have been put in place to change student behavior.
They describe the problem (a huge number of juvenile arrests at MHS in 2010) and the specifics of the project designed to reduce arrests. A collaborative group composed of resource officers, teachers and administrators developed the program. School climate training, and diversion programs were designed. Alternatives to arrest include the graduated response model, Play By the Rules Program, School Safety Review Board, alternatives to suspension, substance abuse programs, and family outreach.
Implementation of the program this year contributed to the dramatic decline in arrests. Although more work needs to be done, Bromley and Macchi feel that the program is off to a positive start and that the school to prison pipeline has been interrupted.
Tune in to Manchester Review in February to get more details about the project. Manchester Review airs on Monday nights, 9 PM on Cox PATV channel 15.
