Restorative Practices in Schools
For our students, the stakes are high. As Michigan's chief law enforcement officer, I've seen firsthand the juvenile justice system and the lifelong impact that it can have on students. And, as educators, you know all too well how educational outcomes change once a student becomes involved in the criminal justice system.
Over the past year, my office has worked with State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice, the National Education Association (NEA), the Michigan Education Association (MEA), and other stakeholders to dig deep into the causes and impacts of disproportionate school suspension and expulsion rates and, relatedly, juvenile and adult incarceration rates. We worked to find ways that my office can partner with our schools, teachers and communities to raise awareness of this issue and be a resource for educators.
This year, I also led a coalition of attorneys general around the country in submitting two letters to the United States Department of Education, requesting that the Department issue guidance for school districts to address the long history of racial disparities in the use of exclusionary discipline, which still exist today. These letters also discussed related disparities in school discipline based on sex, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Attorney General Dana Nessel