This study examines associations between recidivism rates and groups/programs for legally mandated education, behavioral, and mental health services that court-ordered juvenile youth ("juveniles") with identified emotional disturbance or related conditions receive in secure-care juvenile facilities. Using statewide agency data in…

This study examined the clinical utility of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument--Second Version (MAYSI-2) among African American (AA) incarcerated youth and used White incarcerated youth as a comparison group. Data were analyzed for 314 incarcerated youth (193 AA offenders and 121 White offenders) of ages 13-17 years who were adjudicated…

A major challenge for juvenile correctional facilities (JCF) is providing literacy instruction to a transitory student population with a wide range of literacy abilities. The purpose of this study was to identify unique literacy profiles of students in long-term JCF taking into consideration their reading abilities, language abilities,…

This article presents the findings of a 2-year-long quasi-experimental study of post-release engagement and recidivism for youth with disabilities. The effects of specialized Reentry Intervention and Support for Engagement (RISE) for youth with disabilities were compared with two other groups: (a) youth with disabilities who received traditional…

Reentry services for young offenders need to be youth-focused and inclusive of the multiple entities that support a youth's return to the community. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding from stakeholders' perspectives, based on experience, to identify challenges and facilitators to support young offenders' reengagement in…

The purpose of this article was to examine the relationships between: (1) youth and facility characteristics; and (2) youth risk and resilience factors (i.e., mental health, self-determination [SD]) in juvenile justice facilities. Extant self-report data from 205 nationally representative correctional facilities and 7,073 youth, collected as part…

Developing the ability to summarize written text is a critical literacy skill set for adolescent students with disabilities. Four female students at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders in a U.S. juvenile justice facility were taught the TRAP+IDEAS mnemonic using the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional approach to…

This document, from the Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Emotional and Behavioral Health (DEBH), provides clear and compelling support for the abolishment of solitary confinement with incarcerated youth and young adults in juvenile and adult correctional facilities. This is the first position statement from DEBH on the topic, and the…

Despite the prevalence of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for addressing student behavior in public schools, little information exists on the extent and consistency of implementation efforts in secure juvenile justice (JJ) schools. Reports of fidelity to core PBIS processes and components are needed to determine the ubiquity…

A national study of clinical directors examined professional development (PD) focused on mental health provided to professionals in juvenile justice facilities for adjudicated youth. A total of 85 clinical directors responded to a mail survey (45% return rate). The survey questions related to: (1) topics of staff training and the basis for…

The popularity and success of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in public schools across the United States has led professionals to advocate for its implementation in secure juvenile settings. Statewide implementation efforts have been mounted in several jurisdictions, and a number of secure facilities are applying it with…

Reentry outcomes for formerly incarcerated youth are dismal. The challenges these youth face are even further intensified when they have learning or emotional and behavioral disabilities. Successful transition services need to be initiated in the correctional facility and continue in the community. This article discusses interventions designed to…

Youth with emotional and behavioral (E/BD) and other disorders, who in many cases have not received needed interventions and supports in school, are overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. This article considers how parents of youth with E/BDs can become more involved in the process when their child is referred to juvenile court, thereby…

The educational success of Latino students has never been a more pressing issue. As of July 2001, people of Hispanic origin are the second largest racial/ethnic group in the United States and continue to be the fastest growing group in the United States. Despite this, there is little research on the behavior of Latino students--possibly because…

This longitudinal study of the community adjustment of 531 youth exiting Oregon's juvenile justice system focused on youth categorized as being in either low or high socioeconomic status (SES) groups. The team gathered data before participants exited the corrections system and afterwards by telephone interviews. The study found no statistical…