Dr. Peter Leone is an internationally renowned researcher and advocate for incarcerated youth. Throughout his almost four decades at the University of Maryland, his expertise and research have influenced lawsuits related to the provision of education and special education services in juvenile corrections and paved the way for changes in policy and…

Child maltreatment and exposure to violence are pervasive in South African townships. Coupled with economic hardships, many youth turn to drugs and crime, and eventually come in contact with the juvenile justice system. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of how one young man perceives aspects of his life prior 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…

The juvenile justice system, in its origins, was designed to meet the unique needs of youth who committed law violations. The underlying premise is that the rehabilitation of youth would ultimately lead to reintegration into school, community, and the workforce, as well as avoidance of future involvement with the juvenile or adult justice systems.…

COVID-19 has engendered serious challenges with the provision of special education services for youth and young adults incarcerated in U.S. adult correctional facilities. This article describes the recent lawsuit, Charles H. et al. v. District of Columbia et al., which focused on the lack of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) at the…

The education and rehabilitation of incarcerated youth, and support for their effective transition, is a complex endeavor. Many youth involved in the juvenile justice system possess risk factors that are linked to antisocial behavior and recidivism, including a history of poverty and maltreatment, psychological disorders, and eligibility for an…

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 current study is a national survey of special education mathematics teachers in juvenile correctional schools (JC). Results are based on 121 (32%) returned surveys from special education mathematics teacher. Results indicated that in 47% of schools, curriculum was not based on district or state curricula. Between 40-50% of teachers reported…

This study was designed to obtain (a) a national picture of the characteristics of special educators who provide reading or English instruction in juvenile corrections facilities and (b) characteristics of the schools in which they work and the students who they serve. In addition, the study was designed to gather information on teacher use of…

Incarcerated youth are among the least academically and behaviorally competent students in the United States. In spite of juvenile justice reform efforts, including state and federal guarantees of appropriate education, educational services in juvenile corrections (JC) schools, especially for youth with disabilities, are lacking (Houchins,…

In all educational settings, youth with disabilities, particularly those with learning disability (LD) and emotional behavioral disability (EBD), frequently have difficulties in mathematics. For teachers to provide students with access to the grade-level curriculum, a reliance on empirically validated instruction is essential. In this paper, the…