Book 'em, Danno!

Police arrests of students in Hartford, Connecticut schools are on the upswing, particularly the kids of the colored varieties. Blacks, Hispanics ... mostly anyone not one of the white sort basically.

Well, I couldn't care less their coloring and that's cool, if most malefactors are in fact largely of the darker-skinned mix. That would make sense, and shut up about it already. But it does seem a bit anomalous, really, all things considered.

An ACLU report cites that these particular students, though, in both West and East Hartford districts are arrested in school at a rate far disproportionate to their numbers. "During the 2006-07 school year, for example, black and Hispanic students together accounted for 69 percent of East Hartford's student population, but experienced 85 percent of its school-based arrests."

Again, well, they are the majority there after all, and maybe do hold claim the lion's share of bad behavior so I have no problem accepting that stat de facto. It could make sense.

Moving on though, "In West Hartford during the same year, black and Hispanic students accounted for 24 percent of the population, but experienced 63 percent of the arrests."

Now that does seems a bit queer, just statistically speaking even. Particularly when also pointed out that in both East and West Hartford, students of color committing the exact same minor disciplinary infractions were more likely to get arrested than the white students committing the very same offenses.

"Black students involved in physical altercations in West Hartford were twice as likely to be arrested as white students involved in similar altercations.

"During the same time period in East Hartford, black and Hispanic students involved in disciplinary incidents involving drugs, alcohol or tobacco were ten times more likely to be arrested than white students involved in similar incidents."

Twice as likely in the west, and ten times as likely on the east side of Hartford to be cuffed and booked for the same transgression as your classmate if Whitey ain't in your pedigree. Something does seem awry about that after all, don't you think?

As the report points out, the latest example of a "disturbing national trend" known as the school to prison pipeline," kids taken out of schools and opportunities for education, instead criminalized and funneled into juvie halls and the criminal justice system.

Sure, there are legit reasons for anyone, anywhere, whatever age, whatever color to bring onto themselves having their asses hauled off for whatever. No question about that. But the majority of these kids being busted are for not so abnormal (although granted inappropriate, but still) altercations or smoking or fill in the blank with whatever it was most of us did at some point back in the day, too.

Additionally, students in Hartford are being arrested at school at very young ages. Between 2005 and 2007, the arrests included 86 primary grade students, most in the seventh or eighth grade, 25 were in grades four through six and 13 in grades three or below.

An ACLU attorney working this said that, "Research shows that the earlier children are exposed to the criminal justice system, the more likely they are to commit crimes later in life. Relying primarily on arrests rather than other forms of behavioral intervention cements an unfortunate cycle of criminalization which, in the end, doesn't benefit our kids and doesn't benefit our communities."

Really? You don't say. Doesn't help much either that apparently the cops there have no formal written policy or even training about the hows of best breaking up schoolyard fisticuffs or about imposing whatever campus rules, smoking and drinking and stuff.

I guess arrest is the only alternative remaining, darkies first in the lineup, of course. Chances high that they in all likelihood instigated the whole situation from the get go. The safest bet, while the white kids should probably best get back to class anyway.

I do not know why this bugs me so much, but it does.