NCJ Number
110345
Journal
Remedial and Special Education Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: (May-June 1986) Pages: 41-47
Date Published
1986
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the special skills and training needed by those who teach incarcerated handicapped youth and reports on a survey of correctional and special educators to assess training competencies.
Abstract
The author reviews the problems associated with educating handicapped youth who are incarcerated. He notes that the educational staff in correctional institutions are frequently isolated and often lack administrative support and sufficient resources to do their jobs. He reports on the results of a survey of 34 State directors of special education and 51 State directors and coordinators of correctional education. In the survey, the participants ranked instructional methods and classroom management skills as priorities for preservice training. Correctional educators also responded by identifying knowledge of the criminal justice system and correctional institutions as priorities. Special educators, on the other hand, rated skills in assessment and individualized instruction among their top priorities for preservice training. The author describes the inservice and preservice training programs developed by the College of Education at the University of Maryland for teachers working with handicapped inmates, discusses the elements of training programs for teachers of incarcerated handicapped youth, and notes that the development of professional competencies is not enough. In addition, teachers of handicapped youth in prisons must be politically savvy, streetwise, and know about youth subcultures if they wish to reach their students. 41 references.