Injustice In The Juvenile Justice System

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Educational Injustice Education is invaluable to all the young people in the United States, but it is a necessity for most youth in the juvenile justice system. Research shows education offered in juvenile correctional facilities must be the same quality of learning opportunities that non-offending youth receive. “Today any juvenile justice system that does not place education for young people as the essential, central element of rehabilitation and prevention has failed” (Suitts, Dunn, & Sabree, 2012, p. 4). Most juvenile offenders are considerably behind in school, often diagnosed with learning disabilities or delays, and routinely have multiple emotional, psychological, and physical problems (Suitts, Dunn, & Sabree, 2012). Across the …show more content…
Juvenile justice institutions do not provide basic education services, and the youth only receive a fraction of the state-mandated instructional time, and classes are not based on a state mandated curriculum (Gonsoulin, Darwin, & Read, 2012). Twomey (2008) states, “some facilities do not have designated classrooms, libraries, or even books, and the teachers are often poorly trained, and are not trained in how to deal with the special needs of children in detention” (p. 779). Regardless of these shortcomings, the consequences to states for violating the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA), and therefore where are incentive for states to improve standards to achieve compliance (Twomey, 2008). The Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) a federal mandated requirement for all schools, including schools in juvenile detention centers, to evaluate student achievement in a number of areas (Twomey, 2008). On September 30, 2013, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) acquired a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for specific provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), to eliminate of the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) designation (Texas Education Agency, …show more content…
The JJAEP states the goals for students assigned to a juvenile facility are to reduce delinquency, increase offender accountability and rehabilitate offenders. In addition, students will be assisted in preforming at grade level academic interventions in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and self-discipline. At the JJAEP facilities, a student is not obligated to fulfill all students’ high school requirements. However, the facility is required to have at least one certified teacher per curriculum focus and a teacher to student ratio of no more than one to twenty-four. Texas Education Code Chapter 37 Title 2., Public Education Subtitle G Safe Schools, Sec. 37.0062 outlines the instructional requirements for alternative education services in juvenile residential facilities, “The commissioner shall determine the instructional requirements for education services provided by a school district or open-enrollment charter school in a pre-adjudication secure detention facility or a post-adjudication secure correctional facility operated by a juvenile board or a post-adjudication secure correctional facility operated under contract with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department” (Texas Education Agency, 2013, p.

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