The Youth Rights Campaign is a priority of the ACLU of Texas. We seek to end the policies and practices that undermine the futures of Texas children. We will work to ensure equality and dignity for all school-age Texans. Learn more about our campaign goals below, and support our work by taking action.
 Seal the School-to-Prison Pipeline
The school-to-prison pipeline is a disturbing “disciplinary” system that funnels children out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Many of these children have learning disabilities or histories of poverty, abuse or neglect, and would benefit from additional educational and counseling services. Instead, they are isolated, punished and pushed out. Punitive laws have criminalized minor infractions of school rules, while high-stakes testing programs encourage educators to push out low-performing students to improve their schools' overall test scores. Students of color and those with special needs are especially vulnerable to push-out practices and the discriminatory application of discipline. We’ll promote policies to ensure that children are educated, not incarcerated.
End the Use of Solitary Confinement of Children in Texas Prisons and Jails
Children certified to stand trial as adults are sometimes held in solitary confinement before they even have their day in court. Many are found innocent, yet have spent a year or more of their young lives in isolation because they may not be housed with adults nor with other juveniles in detention. These conditions may continue until a juvenile turns 17 years old. Solitary confinement is inhumane treatment that leads to severe psychological distress and damage in adults; it is unconscionable that we subject children to this abuse. In addition to suffering extreme mental anguish, these children are also denied the opportunity to participate in religious services and school, and our counties waste scarce tax dollars on costly segregation schemes. We’ll promote policies designed to end this inhumane, counterproductive, and costly policy.
Ensure Equality and Dignity for All Students in Texas Schools
Whether at the hands of peers, teachers, or administrators, countless Texas children face bullying, harassment, and discrimination as a result of their actual or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation. Bullied children feel ostracized and fearful. In some cases, this fear and isolation has led children to commit suicide. We’ll promote policies that ensure all children are treated equally, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation, and hold school officials accountable when they fail to protect students.
View the full campaign summary here (PDF) |
