Download Juvenile Court Contacts

School Site
Professional Development
Workshop
Educational Needs of
Delinquent Youth
Prepared by
Sponsored by
Guiding Quote
“The successful reintroduction of juvenile offenders
from correctional facilities into…communities…is
fraught with challenges. It is, however, an essential
process in which schools play a key role…the
transition that a juvenile offender makes from
secure confinement to school will likely shape the
youth’s transition to the community.”
- From the Courthouse to the
Schoolhouse: Making Successful Transitions
Perception
What is YOURS?
Juvenile offenders deserve no specialized support
Being caught up in the system is their own fault
Why help? It won’t change anything
These kids can’t learn
Expressed Youth Needs
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A chance to change
 Despite past mistakes
Connection to community resources
 Various types of counseling
Help for their families
Attainable employment
Confidentiality
 Many times school staff that know about
the juvenile’s arrest have difficulty seeing
beyond that mistake
Negative Outcomes

When compared with non-offenders
 Higher dropout rate
 Higher rates of grade retention
 Higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse
 Far less likely to aspire to attend college
Problems after Adjudication
Trouble fitting back in
 Negative peer pressure
 Apprehensive school personnel
 A criminal record that can affect:
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Employment
Credit
Housing
Real Lives
“Stress and temptation almost got me locked
up again. It was stressful dealing with aftercare
workers who would ship me in a heartbeat, and
trying to stay straight in a neighborhood where
marijuana was everywhere. Many of us give in
to temptation. Then BANG! We get locked up.”
-Formerly Incarcerated Youth
Working With Youth
What works?
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Encouragement
 To keep moving beyond youthful mistakes
Supportiveness
 Educational support
 Emotional support
Guidance
 Show juvenile attainable choices
Forgiveness
 We all need it from time to time
Summary: Major JCC Duties
• Recognize
 Challenges the student
faces upon return to
school
• Connect
 Student to appropriate
resources
• Tailor
 Support to fit the needs
of the student
• Communicate
 With appropriate school
staff and student’s family
• Empathize
 Feel the frustration the
student has to endure
• Mediate
 Between student,
school, and community
organizations
• Disseminate
 Information the
student needs to succeed
Importance of School Staff

YOU may be the missing piece these
children need to succeed.
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Evidence shows that poor transition
to school equals higher recidivism.
Bill Bankhead Scholarship
The scholarship was established to assist
delinquent youth pay for the costs of postsecondary education. It is administered by the
Florida Juvenile Justice Foundation. The
scholarships are awarded annually in March
during Juvenile Justice Week (please see fact
sheet or the Florida Department of Juvenile
Justice’s web site for details).
http://www.djj.state.fl.us/Education/scholarshipfund.html