As an educator of detained youth, I am troubled by the recidivism rate and the lack of re-entry services available to incarcerated juveniles. Many of the students return from various types of out-of-home placements to their homes, schools, and communities without adequate after care services to address their needs. The lack of transitioning services decreases their chance for success and places them at a high risk for academic failure. Due to past incarcerations and personal problems, many of my students have low self-esteem, trust issues, and a lack of desire for academic success. As an educator, my official job is to educate, but on a daily basis, I spend a portion of my time mentoring, but the students need structured continuous mentoring
