All the world’s a stage — even behind bars, in Massachusetts. Inside juvenile correctional facilities in the Bay state, young offenders study the finer points of Shakespeare, rehearse for weeks, then perform the bard’s works before parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles.
In Texas, incarcerated youths lead their relatives to schools inside juvenile facilities, where they showcase their work in classrooms and introduce their teachers. A state juvenile justice staffer likened the visits to the sort of open house you might expect at a public school.
In Indiana, juvenile authorities have greatly expanded visiting hours at their facilities. Even late-night visits can be arranged by appointment, if needed, to accommodate a family member’s schedule. For those who can’t make it in person, Indiana facilities — like some in other states — offer virtual visits through videoconferencing technology such as Skype.
The three states illustrate efforts to foster “family engagement,” which has become a buzzword in juvenile justice circles. It’s about building bridges between family members — or other key figures in youths’ lives — and the staff at juvenile facilities that house youngsters.
[For more of this story, written by Gary Gately, go to http://jjie.org/juvenile-facil...y-engagement/107896/]
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