How We Work to Interrupt the School To Prison Pipeline

Understanding the Systems and Challenges

Philadelphia is the poorest large city in America. We are fifth in murder rate in the country with close to 500 killings last year alone. Our city while full of amazing youth and incredible community leaders has been substantially hit by decades of divestment which has resulted in a severely underfunded school system and a lack of readily accessible pathways to either musical outlets or career pathways.

Philadelphia is a city where crucial resources for our youth such as student centric music programs and guidance counselors are frequently cut from schools. Despite facing challenges of a system that consistently does not provide the resources that they deserve, our youth are frequently not seen for the compassionate, brilliant young leaders that they are. Philadelphia is the only city in the country that has more school police officers than school guidance counselors. Lacking resources that our youth deserve to deal with expressing emotions and exploring their futures the school to prison pipeline works to push the world to not see youth as emerging leaders deserving of resources but as criminals. Once in this system students’ resources are further taken away as they are faced with an institution that is not meant for restoration or growth.

Interrupting the School to Prison Pipeline

Beyond the Bars works to interrupt the school to prison pipeline at every phase of the pipeline. We work to offer community based programs for youth who have been impacted by violence in any way (physical, emotional, sexual violence, homelessness). By working to provide a robust music program within our communities we work with our artists and facilitators to create in conjunction with our students programs that our youth deserve in their neighborhoods.

Beyond the Bars has partnered with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and organizations such as NET, CIC, PAAN to provide diversionary program so that youth can have opportunities to grow in music as opposed to the punitive carceral system. Students who identify music as their passion can then move on to join additional music programs within Beyond the Bars and receive as many supports for their musical journey as they would like.

Beyond the Bars lastly works to provide programs for youth who are incarcerated. The incarceration system has been proven to be detrimental to the Social Emotional Learning of our young people. Beyond the Bars works to create a safe space for youth to authentically express their emotions and use music as a means of self exploration towards their future goals. When students leave the incarceration system they further have access to further free music programming with Beyond the Bars.

By working to have programs at the community based, diversionary, and carceral levels Beyond the Bars works with our partners to systemically challenge systemic problems. We work to create as many pathways as possible for our amazing youth to be exposed to an additional musical community and program that will be there to provide additional support to their talent and brilliance.

What is the School to Prison Pipeline

How Our Programs Break Down

1. Student Driven Music Academy West: an open program for high school youth of many different backgrounds to form bands and perform shows together in West Philadelphia
2. Student Driven Music Academy Belmont: an open program for High School youth of at Belmont High School to form bands and perform shows together in West Philadelphia
3. Student Driven Music Academy YSI: A Program at the Youth Services Inc shelter for youth who are currently facing homelessness
4. Practical Producers Liguori: a program where youth learn to write and record their own original music at an Opportunities Network School for youth to find different pathways to success.
5. Practical Producers JJPI: Through a partnership with the Joseph J Peters Institute Beyond the Bars provides musical instruction for youth who have been impacted by sexual violence.
6. Practical Producers NET: Through a partnership with NET Centers Beyond the Bars provides a producer program for youth who have court ordered In Home Detention
7. Practical Producers CIC: Through a partnership with Crisis Intervention Centers Beyond the Bars provides a producer program for youth who have any history with the court system.
8. Practical Producers RCF: a program at Riverside Correctional Facility to run production courses for youth who are incarcerated to help express their emotions and explore who they are through music.
9. Practical Producer’s DA’S Diversion: a program that works to provide supports for talented young people who have been diverted from the carceral system through the District Attorney’s Office.

Our students come from a number of different backgrounds but they all share one thing in common: they are amazing young people with bright futures.