Abstract
This study research explores the problem with the disproportionality of African American and Latino males who are in the criminal justice system. The study also explores the relationship between the educational system and the penal system, which have been associated for decades in the United States; this is known as the school-to-prison pipeline. In addition, this study compares and contrasts the punitive and restorative justice systems utilized in schools along with their effects on the school-to-prison pipeline. The research consists of interviewing seven professionals from different institutions that are practicing restorative justice as a different approach to discipline. The concepts that were discovered from the interviews include the terms of common core, social emotional learning, school police officers, civil rights, school climate, juvenile justice system, restorative indigenous history, punitive methods, restorative justice implementation, and restorative justice results. Furthermore, the themes that emerged from the interviews included: Education, School-to-prison pipeline, and Restorative Justice. Through the process, the researchers critically analyzed race and ethnicity in relation to the school-to-prison pipeline. Implications for social work practice and curriculum policies are also discussed.