Guideposts for Success for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Corrections System, National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth

The Guideposts for Success, developed by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD), provide a framework for organizations to develop collaborative, supportive services for youth involved with the juvenile justice system. The goal of this resource is to improve transition outcomes for all youth, including those with disabilities, and to create community networks of support that will help decrease recidivism and increase achievement in education and employment. The Guideposts emphasize the need to understand the unique needs of this population and encourage enhanced coordination among relevant systems, including the courts, correctional facilities, educational agencies, workforce resources, child welfare agencies, and mental health systems.

The Guideposts emphasize five areas of focus: school-based preparatory experiences, career preparation and work-based learning experiences, youth development and leadership, connecting activities (support and community services), and family involvement and supports. Each focus area lists a number of supports, experiences, and resources that youth in the juvenile justice system need in order to attain positive outcomes. The school-based preparatory experiences area emphasizes, among other things, the need for access to academic, behavioral, and emotional supports, quality curricula and classrooms that are age and developmentally appropriate, and collaboration both with external agencies and with staff within the facility to provide a supportive and effective learning environment.