“THERE’S GOT TO BE A SCHOOL SOMEWHERE IN THIS SHITHOLE”: UNDERSTANDING MARGINALIZATION IN EDUCATION, LABOR, AND INCARCERATION FOR VICTIMS OF THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE

Abstract

This dissertation complicates the widely used school-to-prison pipeline metaphor by examining how marginalization is a continuum across multiple societal markets. The conventional understanding, which often places blame on schools, fails to account for how the education, labor, and criminal justice markets are interconnected. Using testimonio methodology, this qualitative study draws on the lived experiences of six formerly incarcerated Black and Latino men to explore how they navigated these systems. Findings indicate that early academic struggles and school-based alienation contributed to their disengagement. Seeking social and economic mobility, they turned to street life, which provided a sense of purpose and belonging. This path led to their incarceration, after which they were barred from legitimate employment, reinforcing a cycle of marginalization. The dissertation concludes that the pipeline is not a system failure, but a function of a stratified society that requires an underclass, with young men of color disproportionately filling this role.