Providing high-quality education in juvenile corrections: Next steps

Area of Science:

• Juvenile Justice Education
• Educational Psychology
• Public Policy

Background:

• In 2014, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice (U.S. DOE/DOJ) released Guiding Principles for Providing High-Quality Education in Juvenile Justice Secure Care Settings.
• These principles address safety, funding, staffing, curriculum, instruction, and reentry.
• No systematic review has evaluated the research related to these principles since their publication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize research published since the 2014 Guiding Principles.
• To summarize findings across five key educational principles in juvenile justice settings.
• To identify patterns in study quality and provide implications for research, policy, and practice.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across all five principles.
• Thirty-six studies were identified and analyzed.
• Separate literature reviews focused on behavior, mental health, curriculum, instruction, staffing, and reentry.

Main Results:

• The review identified 36 studies examining education in juvenile justice settings.
• Key findings are summarized across behavior, mental health, curriculum, instruction, staffing, and reentry.
• Patterns in study quality were identified, highlighting areas for improvement.

Conclusions:

• The review provides a critical synthesis of research on educational quality in juvenile justice.
• Findings offer implications for enhancing educational practices, policies, and future research.
• Addressing educational needs in secure care settings is crucial for successful reentry.