This article draws on research, policy, legislation, and practice to provide strategies for addressing the reentry needs of youth in the juvenile justice system and reframing the way successful reentry outcomes are conceptualized. Achieving a systemic paradigm shift of this nature requires that researchers, policymakers, and juvenile justice…

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…

Many youth in the juvenile justice system with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders struggle with reading. A multiple-baseline-across-participants single-case research design was used to examine the relationship between a supplemental peer-mediated reading intervention and juvenile offenders' generation of main idea statements about…

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…

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…

Using large-sample, archival data from the state of South Carolina's juvenile justice agency, we examine the question of race differences in predictors of repeat offending for a sample of approximately 100,000 youth who had been referred for criminal offenses. Independent variables relating to background, adverse parenting, mental health,…

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 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…

Youth who are incarcerated in secure detention and commitment settings display a complex array of educational, behavioral, and mental health issues that affect the services they require, as well as their responsiveness to interventions. Yet, seldom are these needs understood or taken into account when providing services in secure care settings. In…

The majority of youths involved with the juvenile justice system struggle to make academic progress. This article reviews the characteristics of youths in these settings and highlights evidence-based instructional practices that are effective with struggling students, as well as practices that have been documented as successful in secure…

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…

Truancy remains a persistent concern, with serious consequences for the individual, family, and society, as truancy is often linked to academic failure, disengagement with school, school dropout, and delinquency. This study analyzed large-scale data covering multiple years of cohorts of delinquent youths born between 1981 and 1988. Truancy…

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…