Actions Being Taken in States to Combat Unsuccessful Re-Entry into Public Schools

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The following actions have been taken to combat this crisis:
  • The state of Kentucky has created bridge coordinators (Boyle, Lever, and Matvya 3). These are individuals who interview the juvenile before they enter the school, facilitate transfer of documents from the correctional facility, and pairs the juvenile with a mentor (Boyle, Lever, and Matvya 3).
  • In New York City, The Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services sponsors the School Connection Center. There task is to enroll the juvenile, transfer their records, and monitor their performance throughout the year (Boyle, Lever, and Matvya 3). They also sponsor Community Prep High School, a transitional school before the juveniles enter mainstream education (Boyle, Lever, and Matvya 3).
  • In Maine, “state law provides for “reintegration teams” to be established within 10 days of learning about the reenrollment of a student from a correctional facility” (Brock and Keegan 1).  The team is made up of the principal, teacher, parent, and guidance counselor. They work together to help plan the reentry and support the juvenile throughout their time at the school (Brock and Keegan 1).
  • West Virginia requires a reentry plan to be in place for the juvenile forty-five days after he or she has been released from the detention center (Brock and Keegan 1). In the plan, there must be a summary of what type of education the juvenile received while confined and a plan for their future education. Additionally, it is mandated that a  mental health evaluation of the individual must be done and recommendations for how to address any potential problems must be included (Brock and Keegan 1).
  • In the state of Florida, according to their law, “schools must have a “cooperative agreement” with the Department of Juvenile Justice that includes plans for transitioning students into and out of juvenile justice facilities” (Brock and Keegan 1).

Sources:

Boyle, R., Lever, N., and Matvya, J. “School Reentry of Juvenile Offenders.” 2006. Center for School Mental Health Analysis and Action. 5 October 2011. Web.

Brock, L. and Keegan, N. “Students Highly at Risk of Dropping Out: Returning to School After Incarceration.” 2007. National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center. 5 October 2011. Web.

Consequences of Not Having Successful Re-Entry Programs for Juveniles

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Because of the barriers preventing successful reentry into school, most former juvenile offenders will drop out. According to the Connecticut Mirror, citing the Department of Justice, two of three juveniles drop out during their transition. Only twelve percent of black juveniles will obtain a high school diploma after returning to school (Richardson 1). Also, when juveniles do not return to school, they are more at risk of returning to juvenile detention (Boyle, Lever, and Matvya 2). Before reaching 18, six in ten black juveniles will return to a detention center (Richardson 1). There are more black males in prison, with a population of 791, 000, than enrolled in college, with a population of 603, 000 (Richardson 1). In the United States, the cost of educating a black male is much less than the cost of incarcerating a black male (Boyle, Lever, and Matvya 2). It costs states, on average, $88, 000 a year to incarcerate a juvenile (Justice Policy Institute 4). During school year 2008-2009, the average amount per pupil was $10,441 (National Center for Education Statistics 1).

Sources:

Boyle, R., Lever, N., and Matvya, J. “School Reentry of Juvenile Offenders.” 2006. Center for School Mental Health Analysis and Action. 5 October 2011. Web.

“Digest of Education Statistics” U.S. Department of Education: National Center for Education Statistics, 2010. Web. 7 October 2011.

Richardson, J. “Contextualizing Juvenile Re-Entry for Young African American Males: From Prison Yard to Schoolyard.” 2008. Maryland Population Research Center. 8 October 2011. Web.

“The Costs of Confinement: Why Good Juvenile Justice Policies Make Good Fiscal Sense.” 2009. Justice Policy Institute. 8 October 2011. Web.

Breaking Barriers 2 by Dr. Ivory Toldson

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I interviewed black male achievement expert Dr. Ivory Toldson as part of my research. Check out Dr. Ivory Toldson’s report, Breaking Barriers 2: Plotting the Path Away from Juvenile Detention and Toward Academic Success for School-Age African American Males. This report is a very recent report on preventing the pipeline to prison, the current status of African American males in the juvenile center, and the work that needs to be done for successful reentry.

Breaking Barriers 2 link: http://cbcfinc.org/oUploadedFiles/BreakingBarriers2.pdf

Why Is It Difficult for Former Juveniles to Re-Enter Public Schools?

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There are a number of reasons why it is difficult for these young black males to transition from the detention center to school. The emotional and personal well being of the young males has a large effect on their chance for a successful transition. Over 50% of young men who leave the juvenile detention center suffer from some mental health problem (Toldson). According to a report, prepared by the Youth Reentry Task Force of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition, many juveniles “experience major depression and many suffer from anxiety” (Nellis and Wayman 14). The report also states that sixty-six percent of boys “meet the criteria for at least one mental disorder” (Nellis and Wayman 15). Young black males have higher levels of depression than white males when returning into society (Toldson).   After juveniles have been confined and not had appropriate referrals of treatment while in detention, they face many problems when it comes to transitioning into social settings (Nellis and Wayman 15).

Another problem that black males face is that they are returning to broken families; they are most likely released back to families suffering from the following issues: single-parent homes, domestic violence, poverty, and substance abuse (Nellis and Wayman 5). Sixty percent of young blacks live in a home with no father (Toldson). These surroundings make it difficult for young juveniles to focus on returning to school. Even if they do return to school, going back home to these surroundings make it hard for them to focus on doing well (Toldson).

In addition to being discharged to broken families, most juveniles are discharged to broken communities. They return to communities that are extremely disadvantaged. Crime is widespread, and educational and employment resources are scarce (Mears and Travis 9). From ages 14-17, youth are at risk of being influenced by their peers (Newell and Salazar 8). For juvenile offenders, the risk of wanting to be accepted by society is shown to lead to criminal activity such as gang violence and group criminal activity (Newell and Salzar 8).

The school system also plays a role in making it a struggle for former juvenile offenders to return to school. There are some school districts which deny and resist the enrollment of former juvenile offenders into their schools (Feierman, Levick, and Mody1116). Schools view these students as a threat to the safety of their school (Feierman, Levick, and Mody1117). Due to requirements of No Child Left Behind, some schools are reluctant about admitting former juveniles because juveniles often perform poorly on standardized tests administered (Giles 4). Because of this, there have been cases where schools have encouraged students to drop out (Feierman, Levick, and Mody 1117). Schools also do not like admitting older students not on grade level because they have to place them in classrooms with younger people (Giles 4). There are also issues such as not having access to documents such as immunization records, birth certificate, social security card, or proof of residency. This slows down the process of allowing a juvenile to register. Many school districts also do not accept credits that juveniles have earned in educational programs held while they were detained (Giles 5).  Juveniles released during a school semester may find it hard to transition because the semester has already started (Giles 5). Schools then become reluctant to admit them because they believe the student will not have an opportunity to pass the classes they are put in (Giles 5).

Sources:

Feierman, J., Levick, M., Mody, A. “The School to Prison Pipeline…and Back: Obstacles  and Remedies for the Re-Enrollment of Adjudicated Youth.” New York Law School Law  Review. 54 (2009-2010): 1115-1129. Print.

Giles, D. “School Related Problems Confronting New Jersey Youth Returning to Local Communities and Schools from Juvenile Detention Facilities and Juvenile Justice Detention Facilities and Juvenile Justice Commission Programs.” 2003. The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. 7 October 2011. Web.

Mears, M. and Travis, J. “The Dimensions, Pathways, and Consequences of Youth Reentry.” 2004. Urban Institute Justice Policy Center. 7 October 2011. Web.

Nellis, A., and Wayman, R. “Back on Track: Supporting Youth Reentry from Out-of-Home Placement to the Community.” 2009. Youth Reentry Task Force of Juvenile Justice And Delinquency Prevention Coalition. 7 October 2011. Web.

Newell, M. and Salazar, A. “Juvenile Reentry in Los Angeles County: An Exploration of Strengths, Barriers, and Policy Options.” 2010. Harvard Kennedy School of Government. 9 October 2011. Web.

Toldson, I. Personal Interview. 10 October 2011.