The project team considers the major gaps in the education program are: 1. Lack of complete educational assessments on the majority of students. 2. Lack of pre and post testing prior to release on the majority of students. 3. Lack of a complete educational plan on all minors prior to release.
4. Lack of information on the number of minors who are detained at the Juvenile Hall who cannot read and an intensive tutoring program for these youth.
5. Lack of a complete Reentry Plan prior to release.
6. Students are not taught work-place literacy skills identified in the Secretary’s Commission of Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS)20. The project team believes this skills-based program
would enhance the Community Based Literacy program. SCANS is recommended by juvenile correctional educators associated with the Workforce Investment Act and the Correctional Educational Association for students who may not return to school but who will enter the workplace. The SCANS focuses on pre-vocational preparation. It is based on a Three-part Foundation of 1) basic skills, 2) thinking skills and 3) personal qualities. Within this framework, it specifically teaches five workplace competencies that will be expected of persons entering the workforce including:
Ability to maximize existing resources to one’s benefit
Ability to work well with others and control one’s anger in the workplace Ability to acquire and evaluate data to present one’s ideas
Ability to understand social organizations and how they work
trades and careers, to generate interest in the workplace, to teach them the skills to look for jobs, to prepare oneself for a job, to write winning resumes, and more importantly, to acquire the social, communication and emotional skills to maintain a job. Working at Buena Vista is a certified Vocational Educational Specialist who has experience in developing and teaching pre- vocational skills training. This same teacher has received training in the Magellan Curriculum, a self-directed, work-related assessment software program of the VALPAR Corporation. This program is a standardized program that is consistent with the U.S. Department of Labor criterion- referenced factors and grade-level scores for employability. Another program that may be considered is PLATO.
10. There is no GED preparation or testing provided at the Juvenile Hall.
11. To date, there is no formal program to educate the non-English speaking student. 12. There is no formal tutoring program to assist the students who cannot read or write.
13. Risk reduction programs are not yet provided to reduce criminal thinking errors and behavior patterns and to improve anger management, conflict resolution skills, social and communication skills.
14. There is not sufficient notice given to teachers to permit them to develop a proper Reentry Plan and to ensure that minors are released with a portfolio containing their educational assessment, written summary of progress and their educational plan. Effective reentry planning begins the first day the student is enrolled in school.
15. Not all vision test results are being shared with Juvenile Hall administration and thus those students needing glasses are not receiving them.
16. There is no structured after-school program that includes homework and tutoring. The project team believes that this sends a negative message to students. Students are expected to study on the outside and they should be held accountable within the facility. Since The Beat Within has been successful in incorporating writing activities, the project team believes homework could be monitored by Juvenile Hall staff as well. Interviews with Juvenile Hall indicated some interest in piloting this activity in the evening.
17. There is no Therapeutic After-school Reporting Program at the Juvenile Hall for minors who have been suspended, expelled from or dropped out of school who are on probation and for those minors who are detained.
18. There will be no health education provided in the future. Health education is important to educate youth on birth control methods and how to prevent disease. Mental health services include mental health assessments, case management, individual and group counseling. Psycho- educational topics covered in groups include relationship issues, avoiding peer pressure, dealing with depression, anxiety, and grief/loss, effects of drugs/alcohol, assimilation and eating disorders.
19. There is no Health Center (SBHC) dedicated to reach out to the youth affiliated with Juvenile Court Schools. Currently, there are 11 School Based Health Centers located in five school districts but none currently serving Juvenile Court Schools or those youth on probation. The target population for the SBHC is youth engaging in high risk sexual and health behaviors, which makes students at the Juvenile Court Schools eligible.
The overall mission of the SBHC is early screening, intervention and health education to teach vulnerable populations (e.g. Juvenile Court School students), who do not have regular access to health care, how to avoid unwanted pregnancies and unhealthy behaviors that could lead to serious health consequences, such sexually transmitted diseases. Services provided by these Centers include medical, mental health and health education services such as:
Health education
Counseling, psychological and social services (8-32 hours each week) Physical education
Health services Nutrition services
Most Juvenile Court School students do not have regular access to health care before or after release from the Juvenile Hall. Likewise, probationers who are expelled, suspended or who have already dropped out of school do not receive regular access to health care thus increasing unwanted pregnancies and disease.
6.1.11
Overall Conclusions Regarding Programs and Services At Juvenile Hall
Among the Juvenile Hall staff, educational staff, mental health staff and health staff are a number of dedicated staff who are sincerely interested in improving services to minors who are detained. Since the County is building a new Juvenile Hall, this time is an excellent opportunity to reexamine current practices, policies and programs and to advance a new vision that will energize and mobilize staff to help make the Alameda County Juvenile Hall the best facility in the State of California. Experience demonstrates that a new building will improve environmental conditions but unless the policies and programs in operation within this building are modified, very little will be achieved to improve services to youth or to provide incentive for staff to achieve greater accomplishments.The project team believes that the Juvenile Hall could do so much more for the youth detained and to prepare youth and their families to face the next stage in the juvenile justice system. The Juvenile Hall is the feeder system for probation, Camp Sweeney, placement, and California Youth Authority. The time a minor stays in the Juvenile Hall could expedite the process of behavioral change.
Outcome-driven detention services have the following characteristics:
1. Every child who leaves detention has a complete educational, pre-vocational (if older youth), health care, mental health care and substance abuse assessment prior to release.
2. Secondary assessments are conducted on problem areas identified at intake using standardized instruments.
3. Each minor who leaves detention has an Educational Plan that includes pre-vocational goals for the older minor, a Health Care Plan that includes a Mental Health Treatment Plan and a Substance Abuse Treatment Plan that guides the next stage of intervention.
4. A trained mental health/substance abuse staff is available at intake to screen potential minors for diversion to community-based services with the approval of the judiciary. Secondary assessments are also conducted to determine if the child is full scope Medi-Cal eligible for services.
5. A core program is developed for and provided to all minors detained giving higher priority to mental health and substance abuse education and treatment and providing pre-vocational readiness, GED preparation, English as a Second Language, and cognitive behavioral treatment (pro-social values and thinking patterns, decision making, victim awareness, conflict resolution, anger management, parenting skills, self-esteem, decision-making skills, juvenile law). This Core Program is detailed in California Board of Corrections Standards (Title 15: Section 1370), in American Correctional Standards for Juvenile Detention Centers and the policies of the National Juvenile Detention Association.
6. Every program has a pre-test to establish a baseline and a post-test to measure change in the youth’s attitudes, knowledge or behavior.
7. Every child has a Reentry Plan prior to release, staff are given appropriate time to prepare the youth and to develop a Reentry package prior to release.