On December 8, 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) jointly released guidance on correctional education for youth. Letters are being mailed to every superintendent in the country, all state attorney generals, and to the state heads of juvenile justice departments, as well as to any parent training centers funded by the DOE.
>> Review to the DOJ/DOE guidance package.
>> Download talking points for advocates from NJJN.
Below are additional relevant resources.
Education in Juvenile Lockup
- National Juvenile Justice Network, "Hub Snapshot: Improving Educational Opportunities for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System," (March 2016).
- Juvenile Law Center, “Recommendations to Improve Correctional and Reentry Education for Young People” (November 2012).
- Peter Leone and Lois Weinberg, Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems (Washington, DC: The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, May 2010).
- Ashley Nellis, “Back on Track: Supporting Youth Reentry from Out-of-Home Placement to the Community” (Washington, DC: Youth Reentry Task Force of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition, 2009).
- Elizabeth Seigle, Nastassia Walsh, and Josh Weber, Core Principles for Reducing Recidivism and Improving Other Outcomes for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System (New York: Council of State Governments Justice Center, 2014).
- Steve Suitts, Katherine Dunn, and Nasheed Sabree, “Just Learning: The Imperative to Transform Juvenile Justice Systems Into Effective Educational Systems” (Atlanta: The Southern Education Foundation, May 2014).
- The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, “Education and Interagency Collaboration: A Lifeline for Justice-Involved Youth.” (August 2016).
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Lois M. Davis, et al., How Effective Is Correctional Education, and Where Do We Go from Here? The Results of a Comprehensive Evaluation (RAND Corporation and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, 2014). Primarily focused on adults, but includes some attention to juvenile programs.
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Lisa M. Geis, "An IEP for the Juvenile Justice System: Incorporating Special Education Law Throughout the Delinquency Process," University of Memphis Law Review 44 no. 1 (2014):869-920.
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National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice (EDJJ), “Class Action Litigation Involving Special Education Claims for Youth in Juvenile and Adult Correctional Facilities.” EDJJ notes on the summary can be found here:http://www.edjj.org/Litigation/. The website has not been updated since 2007.
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National Juvenile Justice Network. The policy platform developed and approved by our memberhip on "Conditions of Confinement" includes this language: "All facilities must provide each youth with an appropriate education. Facilities must identify youth who have learning disabilities or other special needs and provide those youth with an individualized education program and accommodations to meet their needs. Facilities must provide other activities and programs that support a youth’s healthy development into adulthood."
School Climate and Discipline
- U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice, "School Climate and Discipline" guidance package.
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E. Morgan et al., "The School Discipline Consensus Report: Strategies from the Field to Keep Students Engaged in School and Out of the Juvenile Justice System (New York: The Council of State Governments Justice Center, 2014).
- National Juvenile Justice Network, "Safe and Effective School Discipline Practices: an NJJN policy platform." Policy platform created and approved by the NJJN membership.