National

The Roadmap to Reentry lists five principles that the Department of Justice is using to guide the improvement of correctional practices and reentry programs with the idea that “reentry begins Day One.” Among these five principles is the idea that the “Department’s involvement does not end at the prison gates.” The principles include individualized reentry plans, services provided to inmates while incarcerated, access to family and community resources while incarcerated, continuity of care, and comprehensive reentry-related information upon release.

Comprehensive Data About Protecting the Civil Rights of Students in the Juvenile Justice System

This publication highlights data that informs the Office of Civil Right’s understanding of the education programs for youth in confinement across the United States. The data from the 2014-2014 school year was reported by justice facilities to the Civil Rights Data Collection and summarized in this report. Despite needing more academic, emotional, and behavioral supports, students in confinement often receive less support than their community-based peers. The data is categorized by race/ethnicity, gender, and subjects available.

Dear Colleague Letter on Pell Grant Eligibility for Students in Juvenile Justice Facilities, Department of Education

This December 2014 Dear Colleague Letter clarifies that for purposes of Federal Pell Grant eligibility, students in juvenile justice facilities are not considered to be admitted to federal or state penal institutions under the Higher Education Act of 1965. This allows students who are confined or incarcerated in juvenile justice facilities to apply for Federal Pell grants to fund post-secondary educational opportunities so long as they meet the other eligibility requirements.

Dear Colleague Letter on Civil Rights Enforcement in Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities, Department of Education and Department of Justice

This letter from the Department of Education and Department of Justice from December 2014, emphasizes that federal civil rights laws apply in juvenile justice facilities to the same extent that they apply elsewhere.

Dear Colleague Letter on Special Education in Juvenile Facilities, Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

This December 2014 Dear Colleague letter from the Office of Special Education Programs and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services emphasizes that students with disabilities in correctional facilities are entitled to all the rights and protections provided by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Guidance on the Importance of Providing High-Quality Correctional Education for Juveniles, United States Department of Education

In December 2014, the U.S. Department of Education in partnership with the Department of Justice released five guiding principles for the provision of correctional education in juvenile justice facilities.

First, facilities are encouraged to create a safe and healthy climate which prioritizes education and the provision of behavioral and support services necessary to address the individual needs of all youth.

Youth Leadership Forums

Youth Leadership Forums empower students with disabilities to be self-advocates. The concept was first developed in 1992 by the California Governor's Committee for Employment of Disabled Persons. This highly successful program helps students with disabilities learn and grow into successful adults. As of October of 2016, approximately 29 other states host Youth Leadership Forums.

Reentry Education Toolkit, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE)

RTI International, funded by OCTAE through an initiative called Promoting Reentry Success Through the Continuity of Education Opportunities (PRSCEO), developed a Reentry Education Framework and corresponding Reentry Education Tool Kit.

Orphanages, Training Schools, Reform Schools and Now This?: Recommendations to Prevent the Disproportionate Placement and Inadequate Treatment of Children with Disabilities in the Juvenile Justice System, National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)

NDRN is the national membership organization for Protection & Advocacy Systems (P&As), which are the largest national providers of legal services to individuals with disabilities. This publication outlines what Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems have learned about the needs of youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice system.

Juvenile Justice Information Exchange

The Juvenile Justice Information Exchange (JJIE) is a publication on juvenile justice and related issues based at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. The JJIE provides information and links to resources on a number of juvenile justice topics, including mental health and substance use disorders, community-based alternatives, juvenile indigent defense, evidence-based practices, racial-ethnic fairness, re-entry, and dual status youth.