The School to Prison Pipeline has been described as the phenomenon by which black students are disproportionately pushed out of the public school system, thus increasing their chances of entering into the juvenile and criminal justice systems.

Experts cite several factors contributing to the existence of the School to Prison Pipeline, including: harsh disciplinary policies, police presence in schools, racial bias and culturally estranged educational environments. Others point to the inability of schools to adequately deal with students who come to them from traumatic and at risk home and community environments.