Transcript Developing Transition Plans for Incarcerated Youth

Developing Transition Plans
for Incarcerated Youth
Presented by:
Michelle Hosp
Vanderbilt University
Heather Griller-Clark
Arizona State University
Agenda
 Introduction
 Review of the Literature in Juvenile Justice and Correctional Education
 Juvenile Justice Statistics
 Recidivism and Education
 Effective Practices
 Correctional Education
 Neglected or Delinquent
 Special Education
 The Transition of Incarcerated Youth
 Review of Transition Legislation
 Study of Transition Plans for Incarcerated Youth
 Conclusion
 Questions
 Transition References
Part I: Review of the Literature in Juvenile
Justice and Correctional Education
Juvenile Justice Statistics
 In 1998, law enforcement agencies made an estimated 2.6 million arrests of persons
under the age of 18.
 In 1997 courts with juvenile jurisdiction disposed more than 1.7 million delinquency
cases.
 On one day in 1997, nearly 106,000 juvenile offenders were held in residential
placement facilities.
 On one day in 1997, approximately 9,100 youth were held in adult correctional
facilities.
* Statistics from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/facts
Recidivism and Education
 A proven means of successfully rehabilitating offenders and reducing recidivism is
through education (Alabama, 1992; Anderson, Anderson, & Schumacker, 1988; Black,
Brush, Grow, Hawes, Henry, & Hinkle, 1996; Harer, 1987; Lillis, 1994; O'Neil, 1990).
 A preliminary report on recidivism, issued by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, found a
general correlation between education and a lower recidivism rate (Harer, 1994).
 The more schooling a person had completed prior to incarceration, the lower the
recidivism rate (Harer, 1994).
 The more education programs completed while incarcerated, the lower the recidivism
rate (Harer, 1994).
 One study found the average recidivism rate for inmates completing correctional
education courses was approximately 5% compared to 35% for the total prison population
(Alabama, 1992).
 Another study found that inmates who had received either vocational/technical training
or a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) in prison had the highest rates of employment
after release, and that those who were employed tended to stay employed (Anderson,
Anderson, & Schumacker, 1988).
Effective Practices in Correctional Education
The most comprehensive research on juvenile correctional education was
published in 1994 by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). This document is entitled Documented Effective
Practices in the Education of At-risk and Delinquent Youth (Coffey & Gemignani, 1994).
This document identifies effective practices in the following eight areas:
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characteristics of effective schools
administration
academic programs
special education
psychoeducational programming
employment preparation
transition and support services, and
program evaluation and research.
Effective Practices for Neglected or Delinquent Youth
The most comprehensive research on effective practices for neglected or
delinquent youth was published in 1987 by the U.S. Department of Education. This
document is entitled , Unlocking Learning: Chapter I In Correctional Facilities (LeBlanc &
Pfannenstiel, 1991).
This document highlights effective practices for neglected and delinquent youth,
and:
 describes the characteristics of juvenile offenders
 assesses the education services Chapter I (Title I) participants receive
 describes the transition services needed and received by juvenile offenders
 reviews findings on the structure and operation of Chapter I (Title I)
programs
 makes recommendations for aligning program operations more closely with
the law, and
 gives examples of effective Chapter I (Title I) practices compared with
conventional practices commonly found in juvenile correctional education
programs.
Effective Practices in Correctional Special Education
The most comprehensive research on effective practices in correctional special
education was published in 1985 by Rutherford, Nelson, & Wolford.
This research identifies six components that are critical to the implementation of
meaningful correctional special education programs. These components include:
 procedures for conducting functional assessments for handicapped
offenders
 a curriculum that teaches functional academic and daily living skills
 the inclusion of vocational special education
 transition programs and procedures between correctional programs and the
community
 a comprehensive system to provide institutional and community services to
handicapped offenders, and
 inservice and preservice training for correctional educators in special
education disabilities.
Conclusions on Effective Practices
 There is no single "right" way to provide education services to juvenile offenders. The
process of correctional education is as individualized as the students themselves.
Therefore, it is important to focus not on effective programs when providing education to
juvenile offenders, but on effective practices.
 Although there is little research on how to effectively provide special education services
to disabled youth, components that are critical to the implementation of meaningful
correctional special education programs have been identified.
 Administrators and educators need to first acknowledge that there is a difference in
philosophy between corrections and education, and second overcome this difference
before education programming can be effective.
Part II: The Transition of Incarcerated
Youth
Review of Transition Legislation
 Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 - establishes the right to a free and appropriate
education for all youth, addresses the need for an IEP.
 Amendments to the Education for All Handicapped Children Act 1984 - requires state and local
education agencies to report anticipated transition needs, stimulated states and local school districts to
develop voluntary transition support services.
 Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) 1990 - incorporates transition in the definition of special
education , mandates statewide delivery of transition services, requires IEP’s of students 16 or older to
address transition services, suggests students be involved in transition process.
 Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1993 - emphasizes the importance of appropriate transition
services, reinforces the requirements of IDEA.
 School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 - seeks to broaden educational, career, and economic
opportunities for all youth by establishing partnerships between schools, businesses, communitybased organizations, and state and local governments.
Review of Research on the Transition of Incarcerated
Youth
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There is a general consensus that education programs containing effective transition
components aid in the post-release success of inmates, but………
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There is a great diversity in the types of transition services and interventions delivered
(Halloran & Simon, 1995; Kochhar & West, 1995; Taymans, et al., 1995)
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A continuum of care, including partnerships between schools, families, communities, and
businesses has not been fully established (Halloran & Simon, 1995

A new approach to transition services is needed (Edgar, 1991)

The amount of time covered by transition is arbitrary (Benz & Halpern, 1993)
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Successful transition in one area is not correlated with success in other areas (Halpern, 1985).

The agency responsible for correctional education differs across states (Rutherford, Nelson &
Wolford, 1986)
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There is no clear consensus on who should provide transition services
Incarcerated Youth with Special Needs
 11% of juvenile offenders have been identified as learning disabled (Warboys, L.,
Burrell, S., Peters, C., & Ramiu, M., 1994)
 12.6% of juvenile offenders have been identified as mentally retarded (Casey &
Keilitz, 1990)
 20% of juvenile offenders have been identified as emotionally disturbed (Warboys,
L., Burrell, S., Peters, C., & Ramiu, M., 1994)
 Special needs youth have greater social, emotional, and learning needs than their
peers (Pollard, Pollard, & Meers, 1994)
 Special needs youth do not receive the transition services they need (Benz &
Halpern, 1993; Edgar, 1991; Kochhar & West, 1995; Lewis, Schwartz &
Ianadcone, 1988; Taymans, Corbey & Dodge, 1995)
 The gap between special needs youth and their peers can not be overcome with
instruction, it must be augmented with additional transition services (Edgar, 1991)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of
1990 Mandates for Transition Planning
Definition of Transition Services:
“A coordinated set of activities for a student, designed within an
outcome-oriented process, which promotes movement from school to postschool activities including post-secondary education, vocational training,
integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing
education, adult services, independent living, or community participation.”
The 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act
IDEA was reauthorized to:
“Ensure that all children with disabilities have available a free,
appropriate public education that emphasizes special education
and related services designed to meet their unique needs and
prepare them for employment and independent living.”
The 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act
What are Transition Services?
A coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability that:
 A) Is designed within an outcome-oriented process, that promotes movement
from school to post-school activities
 B) Is based on the individual student’s needs, taking into account the student’s
preferences and interests
 C) Includes:
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Instruction
Related services
Community experiences
The development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives
If appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation.
The 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act
When must Transition Services appear in the IEP?
The IEP must include:
1) For each student beginning at age 14 and younger if appropriate, and updated annually,
a statement of the transition services needs of the student under the applicable
components of the student’s IEP that focuses on the student’s courses of study
2) For each student beginning at age 16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP
team, a statement of needed transition services for the student, including, if appropriate, a
statement of the interagency responsibilities or any needed linkages.
If the IEP team determines that services are not needed in one or more of the areas
specified, the IEP must include a statement to that effect and the basis upon which
the determination was made.
Study of Transition Plans for Incarcerated
Youth
Conducted by ASU
29 youth from three separate facilities participated:
5 females from Arizona
7 males from Arizona
17 males from California
Survey focused on six areas:
1) Job skills
2) Vocational training
3) Paid work experience
4) Involvement in transition planning
5) Student signature on IEP
6) Agreement between student report and transition plan
1st Area: Job Skills
100
90
80
70
60
Arizona Females
50
Arizona Males
40
California Males
30
20
10
0
Have you
Have you Do you know
*Do you
Do you know
ever filled
ever
what to do in know how to where to go
out a job completed a
a job
look up job to apply for
application?
resume?
interview?
skills
a job?
needed?
2nd Area: Vocational Training
100
90
80
70
60
Arizona Females
Arizona Males
California Males
50
40
30
20
10
0
Are you
trained for
the job you
want?
3rd Area: Paid Work Experience
100
90
80
70
60
Arizona Females
Arizona Males
California Males
50
40
30
20
10
0
Have you
ever had a
paying job?
4th Area: Involvement in Transition Plan
100
90
80
70
60
Arizona Females
50
Arizona Males
40
California Males
30
20
10
0
*Do you
Do you
know what know what
a transition
your
plan is?
transition
plan says?
Do you
think your
transition
plan is
helping
you?
5th Area: Student Signature on IEP
100
90
80
70
60
Arizona Females
50
Arizona Males
40
California Males
30
20
10
0
Did the
student sign
the
transition
plan on the
IEP?
6th Area: Agreement Between Student and
Transition Plan
100
90
80
70
60
Arizona Females
50
Arizona Males
40
California Males
30
20
10
0
Does what
the student
say agree
with the
transition
plan?
Where to get more information
Michelle Hosp at Vanderbilt University
(615) 322-8150
Heather Griller-Clark at Arizona State University
(480) 965-1381
The National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice
www.edjj.org
Correctional Education Association (CEA)
(800) 783-1232
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
(202) 307-0751