Correctional Education in Juvenile Justice Facilities

The Correctional Education Guidance Package was published to help states and local agencies aimed at helping states and local agencies strengthen the quality of education services provided to America’s estimated 60,000 young people in confinement every day. This guidance package is part of a number of notable actions from ED and DOJ, who are working together to help communities reduce the number of youth entering the justice system and to ensure that those who have entered the system return to their communities with dignity, skills and viable education and employment opportunities.

Letter sent to Chief State School Officers and State Attorneys General on Correctional Education, from Attorney General Holder and Secretary Duncan on the importance of providing high-quality correctional education.

The guidance package includes the following components:

A set of Guiding Principles for Providing High-Quality Education in Juvenile Justice Secure Care Settings, outlines five principles and supporting core activities to improve education practices, or implement new ones. Authored jointly by the U.S. departments of Education and Justice, the guide is meant to help agencies and facilities serving youth in correctional education provide education services comparable to those available to students in community schools.

A Dear Colleague Letter on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for Students with Disabilities in Correctional Facilities from Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to clarify state and public agency obligations to ensure the provision of a free appropriate public education to eligible students with disabilities in correctional facilities.

A <Dear Colleague Letter on the Civil Rights of Students in Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities clarifying how the Federal civil rights laws that prohibit race, color, national origin, sex, religion, and disability discrimination against students in traditional public schools also apply to educational services and supports provided to youth in juvenile justice residential facilities.

A Dear Colleague Letter on Access to Federal Pell Grants for Students in Juvenile Justice Facilities clarifies the extent to which confined youth may be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant Program, and is accompanied by a fact sheet for students and a detailed set of questions and answers for institutions of higher education.

For more information and additional resources visit the following link: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/correctional-education/index.html