Reentry, also referred to as transition, is a critical component in preparing at-risk youth in juvenile justice facilities for successful postrelease outcomes. However, successfully preparing these youth for reentry into the community and back to traditional K-12 schools is still difficult for many justice facilities. With the continued calls for…

Self-determination refers to a person's ability to have control of their life choices, decisions, and interactions with others. Self-determination skills include: 1) decision-making, 2) goal setting, 3) self-awareness, 4) problem-solving, 5) self-advocacy, 6) self-monitoring, and 7) self-efficacy. Researchers suggest that youth with or at-risk for…

Each year numerous school-aged youth with and without disabilities are arrested and incarcerated. For those youth with disabilities who are ages 16 or older, it is mandated under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that they receive transition planning and services. For those youth who will be transitioning back into a school…

In this update, the author notes the passage of the "Second Chance Act" by Congress--signed into law by the President on April 9, 2008. Programs created in law may or may not be immediately funded and implemented. The criminal justice community will be watching the appropriation process with interest to learn what Second Chance programs will be…

Few juvenile offenders reintegrate into formal educational and vocational programs after incarceration. This article describes a program of educational assistance provided by a team of educational specialists for youth returning to the community. (JOW)

Project ADVANCE (Alternatives for Delinquents--Vocational, Academic, Networking, Cognitive, and Entrepreneurial) includes both residential and aftercare components to help incarcerated youth gain skills, make the transition to work, and adjust to community and work life. (SK)

Prisoner reentry continues to be identified as an important issue in the public affairs arena, and a proposed initiative would offer new funding to support transitional services for returning inmates. Education generally does not top the list of identified reentry issues, but education can be appropriately identified as a potent solution. It is…

In this article, the author describes the San Francisco Sheriff's Department (SFSD) Life Skills for Prisoners Program. The program was designed to enhance and expand the Resolve to Stop the Violence Project, which had operated successfully for three years in the San Francisco County Jail as a restorative justice program. The mission of SFSD is to…