[DanBC]

Hang on: the route from school misdemeanor to criminal justice is well known and much talked about.

The combination of zero tolerance with police stationed in schools means many children end up with criminal records for very minor events.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jan/09/texas-police-sc...

> In 2010, the police gave close to 300,000 "Class C misdemeanour" tickets to children as young as six in Texas for offences in and out of school, which result in fines, community service and even prison time

That feels pretty common. It doesn't feel rare.

It's known as the School to Prison Pipeline: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School-to-prison_pipeline

[rhino369]

How much of that is actual bad behavior. The school to prison pipeline is a worthy discussion.

But this sort insane, zero tolerance of total normal behavior is much more limited.

I agree we shouldn't be using the criminal system of kids who bring pot to school or who get into fights. But it's a different issue than a kid getting arrested for being a hacker.

[fao_]

  it's a different issue than a kid getting arrested for being a hacker.

How so? Actually in some states the kids who bring pot to school are more worthy for being in the criminal system than the kid being arrested for being a hacker, seeing as the former qualifies as actual criminal activity (again, in some states).

That is to say, I agree with not using the criminal system for those relatively minor excursions, but at the same time I do not see how it is a different problem.