"A chilling report"—Library Journal on Annette Fuentes' Lockdown High
Library Journal reviews Annette Fuentes' Lockdown High: When the Schoolhouse Becomes a Jailhouse, calling it a chilling yet essential report, an "extremely well-written examination of the American school environment and a must-read for parents, educators, and policymakers."
Media reaction to isolated instances of violence in schools has led Americans, despite a sharp decline over the past ten years of violence in schools, to call for increased surveillance, fewer freedoms, and elimination of due process for our student population. Fuentes, a journalist and former instructor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, presents a chilling report on the increasing criminalization of American secondary students. She begins with an examination of the history of school violence then explores the Columbine attack and how it greatly increased calls for high security in schools. Other topics covered include the epidemic of "zero tolerance" policies, the war on drugs and schools, and the prisonlike security implemented in increasing numbers of schools, with guards, metal detectors, and surveillance systems. Fuentes also considers the profit motive and, finally, discusses alternatives, with less emphasis on high-stakes testing and student compliance and more on developing relationships and programs to help defuse violence ... An extremely well-written examination of the American school environment and a must-read for parents, educators, and policymakers.
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