This document presents information on the established domains for a high-quality youth justice education system, and provides resources and highlights programs that exemplify those domains and provide high-quality, effective education for youth in justice settings.
This document spotlights relevant research and programs align with the growing evidence showing that youth who experience significant educational progress within youth justice settings undergo a “turning point” that leads to their ability to earn a livable income and become economically self-supporting and productive adults. The document highlights a study by Thomas Blomberg, which concluded that “forced attendance” while incarcerated, followed by successful educational achievement, likely contributed to a positive attachment to school and increased the chances that the youth would return to school, after release into the community. The document lays out a bullet-pointed list with eight areas containing several domains for a high-quality youth justice education system, and spotlights Maya Angelou Schools, which embody the spirit and thoroughness of those domains. It also highlights the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families, for their robust re-entry planning process; and the Pennsylvania Academic, Career and Technical Training Alliance, for its unique public/private partnership aimed at improving education for youth in residential placement.