Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine how previously incarcerated Black men describe and interpret their early school experiences and how those experiences may have influenced their adulthood. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze responses from 10 semi-structured interviews. Participants residing in California were selected using a snowball sampling method. Three themes emerged in the findings: early positive school experiences followed by disconnection, early labeling and misinterpretation of behavior, and punitive discipline and perceived inequity. One major finding in this study was that early school experiences were cumulative and shaped how participants experienced school, including their sense of belonging, relationships with authority, and engagement over time. The implications for social work practice and policy are discussed.