education and mental health connections for youth in the juvenile delinquency programs peter leone,...
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Education and Mental Health Education and Mental Health Connections for Youth in the Connections for Youth in the
Juvenile Delinquency ProgramsJuvenile Delinquency Programs
Peter Leone, Ph.D.Peter Leone, Ph.D.University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland
October 24, 2005October 24, 2005
Building the New IDEABuilding the New IDEANASDSE 2005NASDSE 2005
Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota
Youth in Delinquency Youth in Delinquency ProgramsPrograms
Who enters the system?Who enters the system? What are the consequences of What are the consequences of
involvement in the system?involvement in the system? To individual youth, families, & To individual youth, families, &
communitiescommunities Fiscal, policy consequencesFiscal, policy consequences
What are the consequences of What are the consequences of inadequate services and supports?inadequate services and supports?
Understanding the Public School Understanding the Public School Juvenile Corrections ConnectionJuvenile Corrections Connection
Forces Shaping Policies and Practices in Forces Shaping Policies and Practices in
Public EducationPublic Education
• AccountabilityAccountability
• StandardsStandards
• Zero Tolerance and Concern About Violence and DisruptionZero Tolerance and Concern About Violence and Disruption
The Criminalization of School The Criminalization of School MisbehaviorMisbehavior
Student misbehavior has become Student misbehavior has become criminalized through zero-tolerance criminalized through zero-tolerance policies and practices.policies and practices.
Children are now referred to local Children are now referred to local police departments for behavior that police departments for behavior that at one time was handled by teachers at one time was handled by teachers and school administrators.and school administrators.
Many of the forces shaping Many of the forces shaping policy and practice in public policy and practice in public education have a education have a disproportionately negative disproportionately negative impact on children we serve in impact on children we serve in special education programs.special education programs.
Class Action Litigation, Class Action Litigation, Disability, & Juvenile Disability, & Juvenile
CorrectionsCorrections Juvenile Cases (22 states + DC, PR)Juvenile Cases (22 states + DC, PR)
Arkansas, Arizona (2), California (3), Arkansas, Arizona (2), California (3), Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana (2), Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana (2), Louisiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, WashingtonDakota, Utah, Washington
If you look at the kids who are on the suspension and If you look at the kids who are on the suspension and
expulsion rolls in almost any school district, what you’ll expulsion rolls in almost any school district, what you’ll
find is they are not only disproportionately students of find is they are not only disproportionately students of
color, disproportionately African-American and male, but color, disproportionately African-American and male, but
also disproportionately the lowest-achieving kids, kids in also disproportionately the lowest-achieving kids, kids in
special education, kids in foster care. …. We respond to special education, kids in foster care. …. We respond to
their neediness by pushing them out.their neediness by pushing them out.
Pedro Noguera Pedro Noguera
Zero Tolerance and Concern Zero Tolerance and Concern About Violence and About Violence and
DisruptionDisruption Response to school violence Response to school violence
and disruptionand disruption Interpretation of this mandateInterpretation of this mandate Zero tolerance = Zero Zero tolerance = Zero
discretiondiscretion New measures are not New measures are not
consistent with trend in school consistent with trend in school violence and disruptionviolence and disruption
Being ‘bad’ is Being ‘bad’ is more socially more socially acceptable acceptable than being than being ignorant – ignorant – particularly for particularly for adolescentsadolescents
Differential Treatment & Differential Treatment & VulnerabilityVulnerability
Characteristics of youthCharacteristics of youth More Likely to beMore Likely to beSocial skills deficitsSocial skills deficits SuspendedSuspendedImpulsivity Impulsivity Behaviors Interpreted byBehaviors Interpreted by ExpelledExpelledDistractibilityDistractibility Educators Educators Detained by Detained by
PolicePolice PolicePolice Detained in JuvenileDetained in Juvenile CourtsCourts Corrections Corrections Corrections staffCorrections staff Committed to Committed to
Juvenile Corrections Juvenile CorrectionsSent to Disciplinary Sent to Disciplinary Confinement ConfinementCommitted for Committed for longer periods of longer periods of time while awaiting time while awaiting
specialized specialized programs or programs or placements placements
Youth in juvenile Youth in juvenile corrections are corrections are disproportionately African-disproportionately African-American, Latino, male, American, Latino, male, poor and have experienced poor and have experienced school failureschool failure
Mental health and substance Mental health and substance abuse problems of these abuse problems of these youth are co-morbid with youth are co-morbid with other factors that place other factors that place youth at-risk for negative youth at-risk for negative life outcomeslife outcomes
Characteristics of Youth in the Characteristics of Youth in the Juvenile Delinquency SystemJuvenile Delinquency System
On average, youth’s reading abilities are four years On average, youth’s reading abilities are four years below their peers. below their peers.
The prevalence of conditions such as mental The prevalence of conditions such as mental retardation, learning disabilities, and emotional retardation, learning disabilities, and emotional disturbance is three to five times the rate of these disturbance is three to five times the rate of these conditions in the public schoolsconditions in the public schools ..
Youth often have multiple mental illnesses and/or Youth often have multiple mental illnesses and/or are exposed to multiple risk factors associated with are exposed to multiple risk factors associated with delinquent behavior.delinquent behavior.
Juvenile Delinquency System Juvenile Delinquency System Profile of Juvenile Offenders in the U.S, Profile of Juvenile Offenders in the U.S,
19991999
Crimes Crimes against against personspersons
PropertPropertyy
DrugDrug Public Public OrderOrder
Status Status
offenseoffensess
35%35% 29%29% 9%9% 23%23% 4%4%
Incarceration Rates - 1999Incarceration Rates - 1999Rate per 100,000 juveniles Rate per 100,000 juveniles
United States totalUnited States total 371371District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia 704704
South DakotaSouth Dakota 632632
Louisiana*Louisiana* 580580
Connecticut*Connecticut* 513513
ArizonaArizona 334334
New MexicoNew Mexico 378378
MissouriMissouri 205205
West VirginiaWest Virginia 202202
New Hampshire*New Hampshire* 167167
VermontVermont 9696
Youth Served under IDEA in Youth Served under IDEA in Juvenile CorrectionsJuvenile Corrections by Type of by Type of
DisabilityDisability Quinn Quinn
et al., (2005)et al., (2005) Youth Youth served served
/eligible for /eligible for Special Ed.Special Ed.
33.4% 33.4% (n=8613)(n=8613)
Disability classifications as a Disability classifications as a percentage of all youth percentage of all youth
identified with a disabilityidentified with a disability
Emotional Emotional DisturbanceDisturbance
47.7%47.7%
Learning Learning DisabilityDisability
38.6%38.6%
Mental Mental RetardationRetardation
9.7%9.7%
Current profile of youth ‘04-Current profile of youth ‘04-0505
552 youth at entry to juvenile 552 youth at entry to juvenile detention or commitment facility, detention or commitment facility, July 04 – June 05July 04 – June 05
Academic assessments, interviews, Academic assessments, interviews, and file reviewand file review
Most youth receive inadequate Most youth receive inadequate preparation for return to their preparation for return to their
communitiescommunities
..
Problems experienced by youth with Problems experienced by youth with disabilities are not always apparentdisabilities are not always apparent
Many youth with disabilities and mental health Many youth with disabilities and mental health problems do not have overt markers or cues about problems do not have overt markers or cues about their disabilities. their disabilities.
Some youth with mental health problems are socially Some youth with mental health problems are socially competent, others have serious problems expressing competent, others have serious problems expressing themselves clearly when under pressure.themselves clearly when under pressure.
What we knowWhat we know
Empirical studies consistently demonstrate a Empirical studies consistently demonstrate a strong link between marginal literacy skills strong link between marginal literacy skills and the likelihood of involvement in the and the likelihood of involvement in the juvenile delinquency system. juvenile delinquency system.
Most incarcerated youth lag two or more years Most incarcerated youth lag two or more years behind their age peers in basic academic skills, behind their age peers in basic academic skills, and have higher rates of grade retention, and have higher rates of grade retention, absenteeism, and suspension or expulsion. absenteeism, and suspension or expulsion.
ChallengesChallenges Responding to a negative and politically Responding to a negative and politically
charged climate surrounding youth crimecharged climate surrounding youth crime Creating “self-interest” arguments for Creating “self-interest” arguments for
schools, courts, and communities associated schools, courts, and communities associated with more positive outcomes for youthwith more positive outcomes for youth
Using IDEIA and the IEP process to ensure Using IDEIA and the IEP process to ensure students receive services that prevent their students receive services that prevent their involvement in the delinquency system.involvement in the delinquency system.
QuestionsQuestions
Does it make sense fiscally or ethically to Does it make sense fiscally or ethically to incarcerate large number of African American, incarcerate large number of African American, and Latino youth, and youth with disabling and Latino youth, and youth with disabling conditions and marginal skills? conditions and marginal skills?
Does it make sense to return youth to the Does it make sense to return youth to the community after incarceration without community after incarceration without preparation for vocational or post-secondary preparation for vocational or post-secondary education options?education options?
More Questions
How can schools and school districts become more responsive to the needs of all of their students?
How can we ensure that if the court decides to detain or commit youth, that those youth receive appropriate education and treatment?
How can we ensure that agencies collaborate when serving youth?
For more informationFor more information
EDJJ: National Center on Education, EDJJ: National Center on Education, Disability, & Juvenile JusticeDisability, & Juvenile Justice
1308 Benjamin Bldg.1308 Benjamin Bldg.University of Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-1161College Park, MD 20742-1161
www.edjj.orgwww.edjj.org