Transitioning juvenile offenders back into the classroom
Going beyond incarceration: helping juvenile offenders reintegrate into school and community is the latest research developed by Kathy Hogan, educational leadership, counseling, and special education.
According to Hogan, her study shows the differences between the educational programs in youth detention centers and public school systems, and how it affects the offender’s academic success. However, her research also provides solutions on how to help school administrators discover ways in transitioning juveniles back into the daily routines of a school.
As a result of her study, Hogan discovered a number of challenges of reintegrating juveniles back into the classroom. Some of these problems include underprepared and underpaid teachers, school administrators not receiving the juvenile’s academic records in a timely manner, the lack of coordination regarding the curriculum alignment and educational programming, and poor communication among community, school, and correctional facilities.
“Rather than making the child feel as if they are being moved out of a detention center into another prison-like setting, all of the organizations must work together to effectively meet the educational needs of that student,” Hogan said.
Hogan’s recommendations to assist with this transitioning process involves establishing a seamless transfer of educational records and services to and from schools and correctional facilities, developing individualized transition plans, and establishing a youth tracking system. She also suggests the school system develop and provide intervention programs that focus on structured learning, school achievement, and job skills.
Hogan recently presented her research at the 2013 International Child and Adolescent Conference held in Minneapolis. However, she plans to continue researching this topic in hopes of discovering more efficient ways to assist transitioning juveniles.
Getting locked up sets you back vastly in your education. Its very hard to jump back into a structured education, especially math. Its much easier to sell some dope or rob somebody. Your in a loop where you cannot get a job, but you wont get locked up long for crime.
The change of attitude from jail to classroom is hard also, if you even make it back to the classroom. You are used to violence as a response to everything. Teacher disagrees with you on something in front of class (Wholeheardetly in good intentions) and you view it as a direct insult that needs to be addressed. Immediate violence/reactions rewards you in Jail, but in the classroom it does not work.
Crime pays and is rational to most of these kids, I do blame them, but I also blame us for Turning a cold shouder to them.
I think we have collectively decided their not worth saving. As long as were not a victim and its in “The wrong side of town”, its alright. And this is why places like Hephzibah and East Augusta have murder rates similar to Central America. And then many students here say “Augusta is safe”, shows how much time they spend in “Augusta” and “The Hill” or Martinez/Evans.
@Fake Name: Excellent points. Ask some of the people that “think Augusta is safe” to venture over past the East Boundary. Many of these people living beyond the East Boundary hustle and push drugs just to stay safe and alive. And many don’t see anything wrong with it, and I would have to agree with this notion. Most of the drug pushers in that part of town (as well as some of the other marginalized areas of Augusta) represent the intellectually elite and morally upstanding demographic of their terrain. I think that they see their surroundings, and much like Voltaire’s Candide, and realize that this is the best of all possible worlds. Their parents most likely didn’t set up a college fund for them; ergo, they realize that life is tough, many things are unfair, and safety is garnered by using what the privileged whites euphemistically call “their street smarts.” Given the chance to become unshackled from the vicious cycle of poverty, addiction, and fear, most would jump at the opportunity–just the opportunity–to be formally educated.
Pulling from my personal experience, these disenfranchised folks are incredibly grateful for opportunity and utterly defy all of the stereotypes that the white privileged assign them, such as being lazy, incompetent, and worse. Again pulling from my own personal experience, the ingrates, whose parents should be ashamed, are those who grew up on “The Hill” and in Martinez / Evans.
I hope this conversation continues. I applaud those, like Kathy Hogan and Fake Name, who are given the marginalized a voice. This issue MUST gain traction, especially in our state, which is viewed by the rest of the country and the world as being slightly less than progressive.
Eastbound has got to be one of the worst along with “The Jungle” (Windsor court), Sunset, Hicks Street (Harrisburg) and Teakwood in Fairington.
Eastbound in particular is the hottest spot for Augusta’s drug scene. Walk down Eastbound and you will be met with guys sprinting in front of each other to sell you something. They will start the track run as soon as you enter their site. I walked there frequently since the only gas station open at night is at the end of EB. They SPRINT to you, its absolutely amazing to see the disregard fro the law, especially when their is the symbolic cop car parked at the Yellow store or River glen.