The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice jointly announced today guidance on education of confined or incarcerated youths with the aim of helping states and localities to improve outcomes when juveniles are released and to reduce the likelihood of recidivism.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder released materials at the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center in Alexandria, Va., after getting a tour from a former student there. The guidance follows recommendations from a report created as part of President Obama's My Brother's Keeper Initiative, which effort seeks to improve schooling outcomes and opportunities for boys of color.
African American boys are more likely to be disciplined at school than their peers, and they also face higher rates of incarceration and contact with the justice system.
"Students in juvenile justice facilities need a world-class education and rigorous coursework to help them successfully transition out of facilities and back into the classroom or the workforce becoming productive members of society," Duncan said. "Young people should not fall off track for life just because they come into contact with the justice system."
The guidance consists of "Dear Colleague" letters that outline the education obligations of juvenile justice residential facilities under federal civil rights laws, clarify that many confined youth are eligible for federal Pell grants for higher education, and specify facilities' obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The agencies' also released a set of "guiding principles" for providing education in juvenile justice settings.
[For more of this story, written by Alyson Klein, go to http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek...dance_aims_to_b.html]
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