Special educators and correctional educators have become increasingly aware of the special education needs of children, youth, and adults in correctional settings. In addition, State compulsory school attendance laws are generally binding on correctional facilities. Nevertheless, administrative arrangements, variable confinement periods, and the institutional nature of these settings often compound the difficulties involved in providing specialized services. The short stays of most youths make it difficult for many correctional facilities to meet the procedural requirements of P.L. 94-142. In addition, parents may not always have the legal authority to act on behalf of their children, as mandated by the law, because their child may have become a legal ward of the State. The adjudication process also complicates the procedures used to identify and evaluate youths suspected of being in need of special education services. Lack of trained special education and support personnel at youth correctional institutions is also a barrier to educating handicapped youths who are incarcerated. Insufficient budgets for correctional education is also a problem. Efforts to improve special education opportunities for incarcerated youths should focus on three areas: courts and the probation process, correctional institutions, and the development of appropriate State and Federal policies. Other needed actions are dissemination of information, curriculum development, development of training materials, and formation of coalitions to influence funding. Fifteen references are listed.