NCJ Number
205158
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 55 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2004 Pages: 60-68
Editor(s)
John Dowdell,
Russell Craig
Date Published
March 2004
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined youth in the public juvenile detention facilities of Wisconsin and the prevalence or overrepresentation of special education labels.
Abstract
Thousands of youth are in custody in public and private juvenile correctional facilities across the United States. An estimated 30 to 50 percent of youth in juvenile corrections are identified as having disabilities. This percentage is viewed as an overrepresentation of special education students. In order to determine if the apparent national trend of overrepresentation is true in the State of Wisconsin, this study examined incarcerated youth in the public detention facilities of Wisconsin and compared State percentages of youth in Wisconsin public schools with emotional, learning, cognitive, and /or low incidence disabilities with percentages reported from the State and county operated juvenile detention facilities. Surveys were sent to 18 juvenile detention superintendents in the State of Wisconsin; 13 facilities reported data regarding student numbers and percentages of students with special education labels and the number of certified special education teachers employed in the facilities. The study found that there was an overrepresentation of special education students among those youth. All the facilities reported having students with all types of special education labels from hearing impaired, to learning disabled, to cognitively disabled. These disabilities do not cause delinquent behavior. It is necessary to identify causes of delinquency among the special education population and put programs in place to prevent the crimes in the first place. References and appendix