Aftercare seeks to address challenges juveniles face when re-entering the community after residential placement. This study compares changes in recidivism in five Pennsylvania counties that piloted aftercare reforms in 2005 to 2010 as part of Models for Change to recidivism in counties that did not. The sample includes 3,107 referrals to court in…

Justice-involved youth have a high risk of reoffending after release, indicating the need for evidence-based reentry programming. This paper presents the results of a two-year post-release non-randomized comparison study. The study examined the impact of enhanced transition programming, delivered through Reentry Intervention and Support for…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how 7th-12th grade teachers described their active and passive transfer of the social capital elements of social structure and individual actions to at-risk youths during the reentry process into the general classroom in a Southwestern school district. The theoretical foundation of…

There are more than 43,500 juvenile offenders in residential placement across the country. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP's) reentry programs help ensure that youth have the tools to become productive, law-abiding members of society upon their return. OJJDP's Second Chance Act programs provide specialized…

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…

Youth with disabilities are dramatically overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. These individuals have poorer outcomes compared with their nondisabled peers regarding school graduation, employment, and recidivism. This discussion article explores issues related to transition and outlines research-based practices aimed at increasing…

The Second Chance Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act encourage juvenile justice personnel to collaborate with not-for-profit organizations, employers, and community schools to provide incarcerated girls with disabilities transition support to reenter their community after incarceration. The "Career and College…

Students with disabilities represent a large proportion of the population of juveniles serving sentences in correctional facilities. Transition planning is often neglected during incarceration, which is particularly concerning as youth with disabilities are at increased risk of recidivism. As such, the current systematic review proposes to…

The purpose of this study was to listen to what youth with special needs in juvenile justice (JJ) settings say they need to be successful during reentry. The three instruments used to gain an understanding of their perspectives on reentry and their perceptions of barriers include (a) intake interviews, (b) focus groups, and (c) semi-structured…

National rates of juvenile incarceration show that about 33% of the population in correctional confinement has disabilities such as behavioral disorders or specific learning disabilities. All students identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) as having a disability are entitled to special education and…

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…

Youth with developmental disabilities are over-represented in juvenile detention facilities when compared to juveniles without disabilities. In fact, juveniles with disabilities are four times more likely to be found in detention centers as they are to be found in public school settings (Griller Clark et al., 2011; Quinn et al., 2005). Recent…

The third edition of the National Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Neglected or Delinquent Children and Youth's (NDTAC's) "Transition Toolkit" provides updated information on existing policies, practices, strategies, and resources for transition that build on field experience and research. The "Toolkit" offers…

This study explores the effect of basic versus enhanced transition services on the recidivism of youth with disabilities in juvenile detention. The article describes the transition services provided and shares the results of a year-long, randomized, single blind, quasi-experimental study of post-release recidivism. Results indicate that youth with…

Many youth in detention facilities come from vulnerable home environments where factors such as economic pressures, abuse, neglect, and parental incarceration are constantly operating within the family system. A vast majority of these youth have not had positive school experiences and many of them experience special needs and mental health issues.…