Individuals with a history of gang membership face unique difficulties when transitioning out of gang participation and to alternative work. This transition can be of personal and social benefit but requires support to ensure that it is successful. Unfortunately, vocational supports for former gang members often overlook the psychological…

This study examines associations between recidivism rates and groups/programs for legally mandated education, behavioral, and mental health services that court-ordered juvenile youth ("juveniles") with identified emotional disturbance or related conditions receive in secure-care juvenile facilities. Using statewide agency data in…

Reentry services for young offenders need to be youth-focused and inclusive of the multiple entities that support a youth's return to the community. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding from stakeholders' perspectives, based on experience, to identify challenges and facilitators to support young offenders' reengagement in…

Youth with disabilities are significantly overrepresented in the juvenile justice system, yet they are generally less successful post-release in the domains of recidivism, school completion, and employment as compared to their nondisabled peers. The purpose of this literature review is to identify empirical transition practices that benefit youth…

The purpose of this study was to listen to what youth with special needs in juvenile justice (JJ) settings say they need to be successful during reentry. The three instruments used to gain an understanding of their perspectives on reentry and their perceptions of barriers include (a) intake interviews, (b) focus groups, and (c) semi-structured…

High-quality correctional education provided to juvenile offenders is crucial in helping these youth transition back into the public school system. The set of guiding principles and best practices for providing high-quality education in the juvenile justice setting are vital to understanding when working with these youths. An update on the…

Setting clear achievable goals that enhance reputational status has been shown to direct the energies of adolescents into socially conforming or non-conforming activities. It appears to be the case that following transition from Intensive English Centres (IECs) into mainstream schooling, students from African refugee backgrounds experience…

Collaboration between special educators and transition coordinators is important to lower recidivism rates among juvenile offenders with disabilities. This column provides best practice transition guidelines and urges special education teachers, special education coordinators, and transition coordinators in juvenile correctional facilities to…

This study explores the effect of basic versus enhanced transition services on the recidivism of youth with disabilities in juvenile detention. The article describes the transition services provided and shares the results of a year-long, randomized, single blind, quasi-experimental study of post-release recidivism. Results indicate that youth with…

The education provided to youth in detention and juvenile corrections facilities may be the last opportunity for these youth to reconnect with learning and graduate from high school. A large percentage of youth who exit these facilities do not return to school. Dropping out is associated with a number of negative outcomes, including higher rates…

Youth with disabilities face many obstacles when transitioning from a juvenile detention facility back to school. A school-based mentoring program provides formerly incarcerated youth with support and encouragement from a caring, responsible adult. Youth with positive role models such as a mentor are more likely to successfully transition back to…

Juvenile offenders are costly to our society in terms of the monetary and social expenditures from the legal system, victims' person costs, and incarceration. The re-entry and community reintegration outcomes for formerly incarcerated youth with a disabling condition are bleak compared to peers without disabilities. In this study, we examined the…

Youth with emotional and behavioral (E/BD) and other disorders, who in many cases have not received needed interventions and supports in school, are overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. This article considers how parents of youth with E/BDs can become more involved in the process when their child is referred to juvenile court, thereby…

In this update, the author notes the passage of the "Second Chance Act" by Congress--signed into law by the President on April 9, 2008. Programs created in law may or may not be immediately funded and implemented. The criminal justice community will be watching the appropriation process with interest to learn what Second Chance programs will be…

D. Wayne Osgood, E. Michael Foster, and Mark E. Courtney examine the transition to adulthood for youth involved in social service and justice systems during childhood and adolescence. They survey the challenges faced by youth in the mental health system, the foster care system, the juvenile justice system, the criminal justice system, and special…