U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Education Within the Detention Facility

NCJ Number
72652
Author(s)
M C Kelley
Date Published
1978
Length
0 pages
Annotation
In this cassette tape, the president of the National Juvenile Detention Association presents guidelines for education within the detention facility and gives two examples of successful detention education programs.
Abstract
The presentation was recorded att the Fifth National Conference on Juvenile Justice and was edited for optimal listening. The conference was sponsored by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and The National District Attorneys Association. Participants included law enforcement officials, corrections officials, educators, researchers, and others. Detention care's objectives are secure suctody, physical care fostering growth, and constructive activities including school. Other goals are individual guidance and observation to screen for undetected health problems. The public schools must provide a special school within the detention home. Teachers must be competent and have adequate special training. Goals of detention education include a structured day, positive learning experience,use of diagnostic techniques, small groups, and an individualized approach. The child's pattern of failure should be broken. Problems and needs should be interpreted through the courts via individual reports. Each school activity's goal should be clearly defined. School should be administered by the local or State school system and operated on a 12-month basis. Classes should have 15 or fewer students. Teachers should work closely withcorrectional staff and programs for school dropouts should be inluded. In addition, contact with a child's home school is important. Obstacles to learning in detention centers include the changing daily population and lack of full-time staff. Upon entering the program, each child should receive an orientation and an immediate conference with the supervising teacher. Two successful detertion education programs are located in Cook County, Ill., and in Jackson County, Ore. For related cassettes, see NCJ 69125-30.