Emotional regulation (ER) is essential for youth in juvenile justice facilities (JJFs) so that they can be equipped to identify, process, and resolve complex emotions and stress. Emotions such as anxiety, anger, depression, jealousy, resentment, and disappointment are difficult emotions for any youth to identify and acknowledge, but these emotions…

Youth within juvenile justice facilities (JJFs) are often some of the most vulnerable and marginalized population in our communities. These youth often have experienced trauma, social-emotional learning (SEL) issues as well as difficulties in school. Many of these youth have had little opportunity to express their voice in positive and healthy…

Mentoring programs for incarcerated youth have shown promising outcomes with researchers suggesting that this population can benefit from mentoring relationships. A mentor provides guidance and support to youthful offenders. Having a caring adult involved in the life of a youth at risk may help them overcome adversity and develop the skills…

One possible behavioral strategy that could be used in juvenile facilities as a low-intensity tier two option for youth consistently presenting problem behaviors during their daily programming is a positive behavioral agreement (PBA). A PBA can be used by juvenile staff to "reset" a youth's behavioral path through a targeted,…

In this study, we assessed the feasibility and social validity of an adapted approach to positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) implementation in secure juvenile facilities. The authors developed a comprehensive model of facility-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (FW-PBIS) for use in secure juvenile correctional…

Youth who have been adjudicated face the unique challenge of transitioning from facility to community while also transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. Although many juvenile justice facilities seek to provide effective transition and aftercare services, researchers have demonstrated high levels of recidivism among formerly incarcerated…

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…

A shift from reactive and punitive practices in secure juvenile facilities has prompted facilities in the United States to adopt multitiered systems of support such as facility-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (FW-PBIS) to address climate and culture concerns. To date, most implementation efforts have focused on defining adult…

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…

Researchers and evaluators have encountered a number of challenges in conducting empirically-rigorous research within juvenile correctional facilities. The purpose of this guide is to provide new researchers and evaluators with an overview of the possible challenges they may encounter when conducting research in juvenile correctional facilities so…

This article provides a rationale and guidelines for the adoption and implementation of positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) in secure juvenile justice settings, including benefits for youth and staff members. The rationale for extending PBIS to juvenile justice settings based on the authors' collective work in numerous states and…

Special education researchers have made noteworthy progress toward conceptualizing literacy research questions, designing quality studies, and disseminating the results of their research. These advancements have been made through the establishment and refinement of quality research indicators. Unfortunately, this progress has mostly eluded the…

The current status of at-risk and adjudicated youth with behavioral challenges provides a context for addressing needed future directions for research and practice in fields that impact this population. This context includes the myriad characteristics and complex needs of these youth, the programs and services currently available in communities…

Check-in, check-out (CICO) is a secondary-tier intervention with proven utility for reducing problem behaviors and increasing responsiveness to primary-tier expectations of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). CICO has been investigated at the elementary and middle school levels in traditional school settings with students both…

The authors aimed to compile a list of barriers and facilitators to providing incarcerated youth with a quality education. They asked 78 teachers in the juvenile justice system what they perceived to be the top 3 barriers and facilitators to providing incarcerated youth with a quality education. The authors used the constant comparative method to…