Developing Transition Plans for Incarcerated Youth

1. Developing Transition Plans for Incarcerated Youth Presented by: Michelle Hosp Vanderbilt University Heather Griller-Clark Arizona State University

2. Agenda • Introduction • Review of the Literature in Juvenile Justice and Correctional Education • Juvenile Justice Statistics • Recidivism and Education • Effective Practices • Correctional Education • Neglected or Delinquent • Special Education • The Transition of Incarcerated Youth • Review of Transition Legislation • Study of Transition Plans for Incarcerated Youth • Conclusion • Questions • Transition References

3. Part I: Review of the Literature in Juvenile Justice and Correctional Education Juvenile Justice Statistics • In 1998, law enforcement agencies made an estimated 2.6 million arrests of persons under the age of 18. • In 1997 courts with juvenile jurisdiction disposed more than 1.7 million delinquency cases. • On one day in 1997, nearly 106,000 juvenile offenders were held in residential placement facilities. • On one day in 1997, approximately 9,100 youth were held in adult correctional facilities. * Statistics from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/facts

4. Recidivism and Education • A proven means of successfully rehabilitating offenders and reducing recidivism is through education (Alabama, 1992; Anderson, Anderson, & Schumacker, 1988; Black, Brush, Grow, Hawes, Henry, & Hinkle, 1996; Harer, 1987; Lillis, 1994; O'Neil, 1990). • A preliminary report on recidivism, issued by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, found a general correlation between education and a lower recidivism rate (Harer, 1994). • The more schooling a person had completed prior to incarceration, the lower the recidivism rate (Harer, 1994). • The more education programs completed while incarcerated, the lower the recidivism rate (Harer, 1994). • One study found the average recidivism rate for inmates completing correctional education courses was approximately 5% compared to 35% for the total prison population (Alabama, 1992). • Another study found that inmates who had received either vocational/technical training or a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) in prison had the highest rates of employment after release, and that those who were employed tended to stay employed (Anderson, Anderson, & Schumacker, 1988).

5. Effective Practices in Correctional Education • The most comprehensive research on juvenile correctional education was published in 1994 by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). This document is entitled Documented Effective Practices in the Education of At-risk and Delinquent Youth (Coffey & Gemignani, 1994). • This document identifies effective practices in the following eight areas: • characteristics of effective schools • administration • academic programs • special education • psychoeducational programming • employment preparation • transition and support services, and • program evaluation and research.

6. Effective Practices for Neglected or Delinquent Youth • The most comprehensive research on effective practices for neglected or delinquent youth was published in 1987 by the U.S. Department of Education. This document is entitled , Unlocking Learning: Chapter I In Correctional Facilities (LeBlanc & Pfannenstiel, 1991). • This document highlights effective practices for neglected and delinquent youth, and: • describes the characteristics of juvenile offenders • assesses the education services Chapter I (Title I) participants receive • describes the transition services needed and received by juvenile offenders • reviews findings on the structure and operation of Chapter I (Title I) programs • makes recommendations for aligning program operations more closely with the law, and • gives examples of effective Chapter I (Title I) practices compared with conventional practices commonly found in juvenile correctional education programs.

7. Effective Practices in Correctional Special Education • The most comprehensive research on effective practices in correctional special education was published in 1985 by Rutherford, Nelson, & Wolford. • This research identifies six components that are critical to the implementation of meaningful correctional special education programs. These components include: • procedures for conducting functional assessments for handicapped offenders • a curriculum that teaches functional academic and daily living skills • the inclusion of vocational special education • transition programs and procedures between correctional programs and the community • a comprehensive system to provide institutional and community services to handicapped offenders, and • inservice and preservice training for correctional educators in special education disabilities.

8. Conclusions on Effective Practices • There is no single "right" way to provide education services to juvenile offenders. The process of correctional education is as individualized as the students themselves. Therefore, it is important to focus not on effective programs when providing education to juvenile offenders, but on effective practices. • Although there is little research on how to effectively provide special education services to disabled youth, components that are critical to the implementation of meaningful correctional special education programs have been identified. • Administrators and educators need to first acknowledge that there is a difference in philosophy between corrections and education, and second overcome this difference before education programming can be effective.

9. Part II: The Transition of Incarcerated Youth Review of Transition Legislation • Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 - establishes the right to a free and appropriate education for all youth, addresses the need for an IEP. • Amendments to the Education for All Handicapped Children Act 1984 - requires state and local education agencies to report anticipated transition needs, stimulated states and local school districts to develop voluntary transition support services. • Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) 1990 - incorporates transition in the definition of special education , mandates statewide delivery of transition services, requires IEP’s of students 16 or older to address transition services, suggests students be involved in transition process. • Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1993 - emphasizes the importance of appropriate transition services, reinforces the requirements of IDEA. • School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 - seeks to broaden educational, career, and economic opportunities for all youth by establishing partnerships between schools, businesses, community-based organizations, and state and local governments.

10. Review of Research on the Transition of Incarcerated Youth • There is a general consensus that education programs containing effective transition components aid in the post-release success of inmates, but……… • There is a great diversity in the types of transition services and interventions delivered (Halloran & Simon, 1995; Kochhar & West, 1995; Taymans, et al., 1995) • A continuum of care, including partnerships between schools, families, communities, and businesses has not been fully established (Halloran & Simon, 1995 • A new approach to transition services is needed (Edgar, 1991) • The amount of time covered by transition is arbitrary (Benz & Halpern, 1993) • Successful transition in one area is not correlated with success in other areas (Halpern, 1985). • The agency responsible for correctional education differs across states (Rutherford, Nelson & Wolford, 1986) • There is no clear consensus on who should provide transition services

11. Incarcerated Youth with Special Needs • 11% of juvenile offenders have been identified as learning disabled (Warboys, L., Burrell, S., Peters, C., & Ramiu, M., 1994) • 12.6% of juvenile offenders have been identified as mentally retarded (Casey & Keilitz, 1990) • 20% of juvenile offenders have been identified as emotionally disturbed (Warboys, L., Burrell, S., Peters, C., & Ramiu, M., 1994) • Special needs youth have greater social, emotional, and learning needs than their peers (Pollard, Pollard, & Meers, 1994) • Special needs youth do not receive the transition services they need (Benz & Halpern, 1993; Edgar, 1991; Kochhar & West, 1995; Lewis, Schwartz & Ianadcone, 1988; Taymans, Corbey & Dodge, 1995) • The gap between special needs youth and their peers can not be overcome with instruction, it must be augmented with additional transition services (Edgar, 1991)

12. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 Mandates for Transition Planning Definition of Transition Services: “A coordinated set of activities for a student, designed within an outcome-oriented process, which promotes movement from school to post-school activities including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing education, adult services, independent living, or community participation.”

13. The 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act IDEA was reauthorized to: “Ensure that all children with disabilities have available a free, appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for employment and independent living.”

14. The 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act What are Transition Services? A coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability that: • A) Is designed within an outcome-oriented process, that promotes movement from school to post-school activities • B) Is based on the individual student’s needs, taking into account the student’s preferences and interests • C) Includes: • Instruction • Related services • Community experiences • The development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives • If appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation.

15. The 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act • When must Transition Services appear in the IEP? • The IEP must include: • 1) For each student beginning at age 14 and younger if appropriate, and updated annually, a statement of the transition services needs of the student under the applicable components of the student’s IEP that focuses on the student’s courses of study • 2) For each student beginning at age 16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP team, a statement of needed transition services for the student, including, if appropriate, a statement of the interagency responsibilities or any needed linkages. • If the IEP team determines that services are not needed in one or more of the areas specified, the IEP must include a statement to that effect and the basis upon which the determination was made.

16. Study of Transition Plans for Incarcerated Youth • Conducted by ASU • 29 youth from three separate facilities participated: • 5 females from Arizona • 7 males from Arizona • 17 males from California • Survey focused on six areas: • 1) Job skills • 2) Vocational training • 3) Paid work experience • 4) Involvement in transition planning • 5) Student signature on IEP • 6) Agreement between student report and transition plan

17. 1st Area: Job Skills

18. 2nd Area: Vocational Training

19. 3rd Area: Paid Work Experience

20. 4th Area: Involvement in Transition Plan

21. 5th Area: Student Signature on IEP

22. 6th Area: Agreement Between Student and Transition Plan

23. Where to get more information • Michelle Hosp at Vanderbilt University • (615) 322-8150 • Heather Griller-Clark at Arizona State University • (480) 965-1381 • The National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice • www.edjj.org • Correctional Education Association (CEA) • (800) 783-1232 • Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) • (202) 307-0751