An embrace of zero-tolerance policies has strengthened the “school-to-prison pipeline” for many young people, a probation officer for Toledo Municipal Court said Thursday.

Addressing the rate of incarceration requires a look at what led inmates to prison, Anthony Bouyer said during a session at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.

These student violations begin an often escalating series of run-ins with police, he said.

“We kick them out of school and they start roaming the streets. They make their first contact with the criminal justice system as juveniles,” Mr. Bouyer said.

Mr. Bouyer said 53 percent of African-American men nationwide do not graduate high school — a statistic that leaps to 70 percent in some urban areas. Hispanic men, too, have some of the highest dropout rates, he said.

More diversity among teachers could better encourage a wider range of students, Mr. Bouyer said. Those not familiar with the neighborhoods where they work may not fully understand actions in the classroom, he said.

“It doesn’t mean the way these students are acting is good or bad, but teachers reward students who present behavior that they presented when they were growing up,” he said.

Mr. Bouyer predicted the criminal justice system will consider ways to better reduce the number of detained black men.

“If white males in this country had a 53 percent dropout rate, what do you think would be happening?” he asked.

“The money would be pouring in,” one attendee replied.

Mr. Bouyer repeated that statement and added, “There would be congressional hearings. There would be Senate hearings. That problem would be corrected.”

Mr. Bouyer said zero-tolerance policies have not improved safety. Instead, officials should prioritize funding for additional activities at poorer schools. It would not be cheap, but prison is a costlier option, he said.

Ohio prisons in March housed about 50,500 inmates. The average annual cost was approximately $24,715 per prisoner, according to the state Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Based on those numbers, the total eclipses $1.2 billion.

Toledoans for Prison Awareness hosted Thursday’s session. The group’s fourth annual Prison Awareness Week continues today.

Amy Borror, a deputy director of the Ohio Public Defender’s office, will discuss the sex offender registry from 1 to 3 p.m. at the United Way of Greater Toledo, 424 Jackson St.

Contact Ryan Dunn at: rdunn@theblade.com, 419-724-6095, or on Twitter @rdunnblade.

First Published April 8, 2016, 4:00 a.m.