California

The LA County Probation Department has developed an array of school-based and special programs targeting youth and families within its five Supervisorial Districts. The programs and services are funded through the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA). Specifically, the school-based program assigns Deputy Probation Officers to schools and other sites to work closely with parents and guardians to enforce regular school attendance, behavior and school performance, as well as compliance with all other terms of probation.

The East Bay Agency for Children in Oakland, CA, developed the Youth Empowerment Services Program in an effort to support youth transitioning out of juvenile detention facilities, as well as work with at-risk youth to prevent juvenile justice involvement. The program’s goals are to promote consistent school attendance and youth goal development and to provide positive role models for participating youth.

This toolkit, modeled after a toolkit created by the Education Law Center in Philadelphia, PA, provides resources and information for individuals working in the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles, CA, who are involved in working to support youth transitioning out of detention placements seeking to re-enroll in school.  The purpose of the toolkit is to provide information about issues related to the education of delinquent youth, both during placement and upon release.  The toolkit provides resources to help answer education-related questions and links professionals to individu