Discusses clinical trends with respect to the inpatient treatment of individuals with dual diagnosis of mental retardation and mental disorders. Identifies operant trends, including increased attention on functionally derived treatments and treatments designed for infrequent behaviors. Also considers pharmacotherapy trends. (Author/NB)

Background: Information on the duration, frequency and content of leisure activities for persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) in residential facilities during weekends was not available. Method: The project was carried out in 2003 and included seven facilities. Interviews were held with direct support professionals…

This first person account opens a window onto the inner world of a troubled youth. This narrative describes a young boy's personal account of being dropped off at a facility for troubled youth, in hopes that his behavior will change.

This article presents a double approach: quantitative (about 653 older boys and girls who left special education centers less than 10 years ago) and qualitative (talks with 38 of them). The quantitative study, researching factors of success in special education centers, shows the importance of placement for 3 or 4 years, a later exit between 19…

In this update, Linton describes the Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners Program and discusses why this reentry program has been successful. This program competitively funds three-year demonstration projects that provide life skills instruction in either state correctional facilities or jails. Both state and local correctional systems are…

Exchange of poems at the 2nd Annual San Quentin/Patten College poetry slam with the prisoners is reported to be an event, which was extraordinaire. It was an opportunity to understand the hidden popular culture.

Increased knowledge of complex behaviors such as pica is needed to improve the support and services in the community for individuals with intellectual disability (ID). Though the prevalence of pica has been documented extensively in institutionalized settings, few studies have explored its etiology. The aim of this study is to explore the…

This article examines differences in young adults' intimate relationships by social class. Lower-class adolescents are more likely to engage in intimate-relationship practices such as cohabitation, early marriage, and sexual activity that may lead to further economic and educational deprivation. Such adolescents have limited access to the special…

The use of psychotropic interventions to manage the inappropriate behaviors displayed by students who are emotionally disturbed (ED) has continued to increase over the past several decades. To date, few studies have investigated the use of psychotropic medications among students with ED placed in the most restrictive educational settings (i.e.,…

This authoritative volume provides state-of-the-art practices for supporting the approximately 20% of today's K-12 students who have emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) that hinder school success. Leading experts present evidence-based approaches to screening, progress monitoring, intervention, and instruction within a multi-tiered framework.…

The U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics has updated the household and prison public-use data files for the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy and the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey. The accompanying 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy Public-Use Data File User's Guide explains how the data…

No hovering administrators. No high-stakes tests. No pestering parents. Barb Hagen teaches murderers and sex offenders, and she loves her work. This article describes the experiences of Barb Hagen, a prison education teacher. Barb Hagen could not save the troubled middle-schoolers she taught for 20 years. Now she helps inmates get their lives back…

The BBC Prison Study was an experimental case study in which participants were randomly assigned to groups as prisoners or guards. This paper examines the impact of interventions designed to increase prisoners' sense of shared social identity on processes of leadership. It presents psychometric, behavioral, and observational data which support the…

This chapter looks at the power of theater and literature programs to affect correctional facilities; it delves into how such programs can deepen connections to oneself, to others, to community, and to the larger world.

This guide is designed to support the development of mathematics proficiency for youth in short-term juvenile correctional facilities. Mathematics proficiency includes mastery and fluency in foundational numeracy; an understanding of complex, grade-appropriate concepts and procedures; and application of those competencies to solve relevant,…