Unconventional Approach to Providing Educational Services to Violent Juvenile Offenders (From Violent Juvenile Offenders - An Anthology, P 273-281, 1984, Robert A Mathias et al, ed. - See NCJ-95108)

• NCJ Number: 95174
• Author(s): C M Bobal
• Date Published: 1984
• Length: 9 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Available on microfiche as NCJ-95108.

Annotation

Educational services are one component of the Shelby County (Tennessee) Violent Offender Project, a program which differs from traditional correctional programs in encouraging youth to engage in behaviors they had previously demonstrated at home, while forbidding harmful aggressiveness, running away, and illegal activities.

Abstract

The program serves chronic violent offenders, who progress from the secure phase to a variety of living settings and finally back home by accepting specified responsibilities and establishing trust with the staff. Each youth has an individualized treatment plan. The educational program is individualized and provides services for youth studying for their General Equivalency Diploma, those who will be going back into the public school system, and those not interested in continuing formal education but who desire vocationally-related remedial work. Testing occurs upon entry. Each youth must accept the responsibilities involved in the program. Each youth attends classes 3 hours a day and is assigned 1 to 2 hours of homework. The two class sessions each include six or less students. The youths take biweekly tests, and counselors receive written progress reports. The goals associated with an open education environment are used. This allows the use of unconventional methods. Eighteen of the 19 youths serviced to date are either continuing their education or training in the program or elsewhere, or have full-time employment in the community.