Title: Juvenile Justice Incarceration, Educational Opportunity and Subsequent Community Transition
1Juvenile Justice Incarceration, Educational
Opportunity and Subsequent Community Transition
Thomas G. Blomberg George B. Pesta
JJEEP
Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Florida State University
2Presentation Outline
- Introduction
- Overview of The Juvenile Justice Educational
Enhancement Program (JJEEP) - Research Methods and Data
- Results
- Conclusions and Policy Implications
3I Introduction Prior Literature
- While there are variations in the findings
reported in the delinquency and life course
literature, a major theme that has emerged is
continuity in the life course. It has been found
in numerous studies that problem children often
become adolescent delinquents and subsequent
adult criminals. As a result, an often voiced
conclusion is that the best predictor of future
behavior is past behavior (Robins 1966, West and
Farrington 1977, Wolfgang et al. 1987, Patterson
1992, and Moffit 1993).
4A Dynamic Life Course Conceptualization
- In a well received study, Sampson and Laub (1993)
argue that childhood antisocial behavior and
adolescent delinquency are linked to adult crime
in part through weak social bonds. However, they
also contend that certain life events and
socialization experiences in the life course may
counteract earlier life experiences.
Specifically, Sampson and Laub present findings
demonstrating that such young adult transitions
and subsequent social ties resulting from
marriage, employment or military service can
serve as positive turning points in the life
course. - Sampson and Laub recommend that subsequent
research needs to identify and explore more fully
other potential life course transitions and
associated social ties occurring not only during
young adulthood but during adolescence that may
facilitate either continuity or change in the
life course.
5Current Studys Research Question
- Since 1998, JJEEP has been conducting multiple
research and quality assurance functions for the
education programs operating in Floridas
juvenile justice facilities. - The major research focus has been upon the role
of high quality education, referred to in this
paper as educational opportunity, upon a youth's
transition back into their home communities. - This presentation presents results that address
the question Can High Educational Opportunity
while incarcerated serve as a Positive Turning
Point for delinquents as they transition from
institutions into their home communities?
6II Overview of JJEEP
7Major Goals
- Best Education Practices Research
- Educational Quality Assurance (QA) of Floridas
Juvenile Justice Schools - Technical Assistance for School Districts and
Educational Providers - State Legislative and Department of Education
Policy Recommendations
8Florida Facilities with Onsite Education Services
- Approximately 200 facilities with education
services provided onsite - Approximately 10,000 youth on any given day
- Facility size ranges from 15 to 350 youth
- 85 of residential custody care services are
privatized - 44 of education services are privatized
- Local school districts are ultimately responsible
for all educational services
9Quality Assurance Reviews
- Educational Quality Assurance Standards
- Transition
- Service Delivery
- Educational Resources and Learning Environment
- Contract Management
- QA Review Protocol and Methodology
- Documentation, Interviews, Observations
- Use of Peer Reviewers
10Raising the Bar Annually
- Annual Standards Revision
- Incorporating Current Best Practice Research
Experience - Implementing New Legislation
- Facilitating School District and Provider Input
11Promising Educational Practices
- Initial Assessments
- Educational Planning
- Curriculum Instruction
- Individualized Curriculum
- Vocational Programming
- Special Education
- GED Prep
- Cultural Diversity
- Psychosocial Education
- Teacher Certification Professional Development
- Transition Planning Services
- Aftercare
- Effective School Environment
- Adequate Space
- Instructional Materials
- Parent and Community Involvement
- Environment Conducive to Learning
12Quality Teachers A Best Practice
Professional certification and teaching in-field
effects overall program performance
- Professionally Certified
- Public programs 75
- Private 32
- Teaching In-field
- Math 12
- Science 15
- Social Studies 20
- English 21
-
- Increase in Certified Teachers (Prof. Temp.)
- 2000 64 ----- 2002 80
13Prevalence of Special Education Students in
Juvenile Justice Schools
- Increase of Identified Special Education Students
- 1999 32 -------- 2002 43
14III Research Methods and Data
- Cohort of 4,936 youth released from 113
residential juvenile justice facilities
throughout Florida in fiscal year 2000-2001 are
being longitudinally tracked - Student data from official State Databases (DOE,
DOC, and FDLE) - Program level data on Educational Opportunity and
Program Characteristics - Statistical method
- Logistic regression
15Official State Databases in which a sample of
4,936 cases were matched from 113 programs across
the state of Florida
16Program Services Community Reintegration
Measures
- Educational Opportunity refers to the quality of
the education program as annually determined by
comprehensive assessment of each programs
educational practices in relation to best
practices. - Transition refers to Return to School or H.S.
Graduation - Immediate within one semester
- Eventual within 1-2 years post release
- Prior Post release Arrest
- Felonies and selected misdemeanors
17IV Results Is high educational opportunity
while incarcerated positively related to return
to school across High, Moderate, and Low Risk
Facilities?
- Relationships were not statistically significant,
but were in the predicted direction for all youth
regardless of high, moderate, or low security
risk level of the program.
We will now individually assess high, moderate,
and low risk programs.
18Return to school from high risk programs Logit
(n961, Mean Age16.8, Avg. Length of Stay11.3)
indicates significance at lt.05 These results
indicate that high educational opportunity does
not have the predicted effect for youth from high
risk programs.
19Return to school from moderate risk programs
Logit (n2,219 , Mean Age16.2 Avg. Length of
Stay7.1)
indicates significance at lt.05 Youth released
from moderate risk facilities with high
educational opportunity are 39 more likely to
immediately return to school and 46 more likely
to eventually return to school. These results
indicate that high educational opportunity does
have the predicted effect for youth from moderate
risk programs.
20Return to school from low risk programs Logit
(n446 , Mean Age15.6 Avg. Length of Stay3.2)
indicates significance at lt.05 Although high
educational opportunity was not statistically
significant for youth to return to school from
low risk programs, the relationship remains in
the predicted direction for both immediate and
eventual return to school.
21Does return to school result in fewer
post-release arrests?
- Relationships were in the predicted direction at
both 6 and 12 months post release for all youth
regardless of high, moderate, or low security
risk level of the program.
We will now individually assess high, moderate,
and low risk programs.
22Post-release arrest at six and twelve months for
youth released from high risk programs Logit
(n961)
indicates significance at lt .05 Although the
relationship between return to school and arrest
is in the predicted direction, the results for
youth from high risk programs were not
statistically significant.
23Post-release arrest at six and twelve months for
youth released from moderate risk programs Logit
(n2,219)
indicates significance at lt .05 Youth who return
to school from moderate risk programs are 47
less likely to be arrested within 6 months and
38 less likely within 12 months of
release. These results indicate that return to
school does have the predicted effect for youth
from moderate risk programs.
24Post-release arrest at six and twelve months for
youth released from low risk programs Logit
(n446)
indicates significance at lt .05 Youth who return
to school from low-risk programs are 46 less
likely to be arrested within 6 months and 13
less likely within 12 months of release. These
results indicate that return to school does have
the predicted effect for youth from low-risk
programs.
25Continuing Research
- Self-report telephone surveys
- n 350 parent and 273 student survey completions
of students released during fiscal year 2000/2001 - Match to official data
- Survey questions related to educational
experiences, performance and school attachment - Extended longitudinal findings
- 2-3 years post release
- Second cohort using same methods
- Different year of release
- 3-4 years post-release
26V Conclusions Policy Implications
- Conclusions
- Our combined cohort of high, moderate, and low
risk delinquent youth was comprised of youth
characterized by disproportionate educational
deficiencies as compared to matched public school
students resulting in major challenges for the
provision of quality and effective educational
services while incarcerated. - The reported results indicate that educational
opportunity does serve as a turning point in the
life course of moderate and low risk incarcerated
delinquent adolescents during their six to twelve
months transition back into their home
communities. - The post-release transition back into the
community for high risk incarcerated delinquent
youth was not found to be significantly
influenced by educational opportunity.
27- While our combined cohort of low, moderate, and
high risk delinquent youth suffered
disproportionate educational deficiencies, it is
likely that the moderate and low risk youth were
less entrenched and committed to their delinquent
life course as compared to the high risk
delinquents. - In terms of life course theory, these results
support a dynamic conceptualization of the
adolescent delinquent to crime life course
trajectory that can involve continuity and
turning points as related to different
circumstances and opportunities. - Continued longitudinal tracking of our cohort is
necessary to more fully address the conditions
under which continuity or turning points occur
and are sustained or not during transition from
incarceration into the community and throughout
the life course.
28- JJEEP is now involved in a self-report study of
measures of social attachment that may be shaped
by educational opportunity which could help
provide meaningful interpretations of how and why
delinquent youth continue or desist from their
delinquent life course.
29- Policy Implications
- The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 is
intended to increase the educational
opportunities for all students in public schools
and in juvenile justice facilities throughout the
United States. - Since the inception of Juvenile Courts at the
turn of the Twentieth Century, the quality of
juvenile justice education programs throughout
the country has been uneven and inferior to
public schools.
30- Some of the major NCLB requirements include
- 95 state assessment participation rate
- State assessment results from students in
juvenile justice schools will be rolled up
and averaged in with all scores for each district - Highly Qualified teacher requirements
- Reading First program is required in juvenile
justice schools - Emphasis on transition services and return to
school - Emphasis on Special Education services
- Program evaluation requirement
- percent of students returning to school
- Uniform student academic gain assessment
- percent of eligible students graduating
- Program pupil progression rate, credits earned
toward graduation - Recidivism
- Employment
31- If states are able to successfully implement the
various NCLB juvenile justice school requirements
and practices, educational opportunity will be
substantially increased for incarcerated
delinquent youth throughout the country thereby
providing the potential for positive turning
points in the life course of countless numbers of
youth.
32Contact Us for Information
- JJEEP
- 325 John Knox Road
- Bldg. L, Suite 102
- Tallahassee, FL 32303
- _______________(850) 414-8355______________
- Visit our website for information on research,
standards, technical assistance documents, and
links related to juvenile justice education - www.jjeep.org