Educational Services for Delinquent Youth State Enactments (1994-2000)

Juvenile Justice

Select State Enactments on Educational Services for Delinquent Youth (1994-2000)

1998 Ala. Acts, Act 98-382 Sec. 3- Requires the Department of Juvenile Justice, in reviewing its programs and services, to include an analysis and evaluation of the number of children who are assessed for literacy skills, the number who fail to demonstrate age appropriate reading skills, and the number who are required to participate in a literacy program.

1999 Arizona H 2084 Requires each county jail to offer education to all prisoners with disabilities who are age 21 or younger and confined in the county jail. Allows the county to operate its education program through an existing accommodation school that provides alternative education services.

1995 Ariz. Sess. Laws, Chap. 158 Requires counties to operate education programs for inmates under 18 and for disabled inmates under 21. Permits school superintendents to establish county jail education funds when a county chooses not to comply. Establishes the funding formula for such programs.

1999 Ark. Acts, Act 1318 Appropriates funds for the reimbursement of educational services in juvenile detention facilities.

1999 Cal. Stats., S 334 Requires youths committed to the Youth Authority to enroll in education programs if they have no high school diploma or GED certificate.

1993 Cal. Stats., Chap. 175 Requires prior transmission of a juvenile's individualized education program to the Department of the Youth Authority as a condition to transfer a juvenile with special needs. Provides for state reimbursement.

1993 Cal. Stats., Chap. 1257 Authorizes a county board of education to enroll expelled pupils in community schools if they committed certain serious offenses. Prohibits such students from transferring to another school during the period of expulsion, except for a community or juvenile court school. Exempts from liability school officials who inform teachers of pupils who have engaged in specified tests.

1999 Colo. Laws, H 1173/§19-2-207; 16-11-204 Allows the juvenile parole board to require, as a condition of parole, a juvenile committed to the department of human services to work toward attainment of a high school diploma or General Education Degree (GED). Permits the court to require a defendant under age 18 at the time of sentencing to work to attain a high school diploma or GED.

1997 Colo. Laws, H 1318 Authorizes the state to contract with a single private entity to construct and operate a juvenile facility to house juveniles who are in the state's custody. Requires the facility to provide educational, vocational and positive developmental programming. Requires the Division of Youth Corrections to calculate the recidivism rate for juveniles who complete the program one year after its opening.

1994 Conn. Acts, P.A. 212 Establishes a school advisory board at the juvenile correctional facility.

2000 Fla. Laws, SB 2464, Chap. 137 Requires the departments of Juvenile Justice and Education to consult with other named groups in developing a multi-agency plan for vocational education programs in juvenile commitment facilities. Allows minors and certain students with disabilities who are detained in county or municipal detention facilities and who have not graduated from high school or attained a diploma to receive educational services from the local school district. Requires mandatory participation in the education program for youths on aftercare or community control status.

1999 Fla. Laws, H 349 Sec. 41 Requires the school year for schools that provide educational services in the Department of Juvenile Justice to include 250 days of instruction over 12 months.

Sec. 48 Requires the education department to serve as the lead agency for juvenile justice education programs to ensure that curriculum, support services, and resources are provided. Requires the state to designate a coordinator for juvenile justice education programs to serve as the point of contact to resolve issues not addressed by local district school boards and to ensure each department's participation in certain activities.

1999 Fla. Laws, S 1648 (985.421) Creates the welfare trust fund, to which money allocated to the department of juvenile justice will be deposited. Appropriates such funds for the benefit, education, and general welfare of youth.

1998 Fla. Laws, H 4315 Requires the juvenile justice advisory board to conduct a study to determine the extent and nature of educational programs for juvenile offenders committed to residential and nonresidential programs and under court supervision in the community. Makes an appropriation. Adds juvenile assessment centers to the list of agencies with which the school district dropout prevention programs must be coordinated. Also requires the department of education, with the department of juvenile justice to identify, implement, and administer juvenile offender literacy programs for each residential commitment program operated by or under contract with the department. Established participation criteria.

1996 Fla. Laws, Chap. 382 Sec. 30- Establishes a framework to ensure that education is provided to youth in residential commitment programs.

2000 Kan. Sess. Laws, HB 2810, Chap. 95 Revises state aid formula for school districts that provide educational services in juvenile detention facilities.

1996 Ky. Acts, Chap. 358 Sec. 64(2)- Establishes a division to provide educational programs to incarcerated youth including those ordered to remain in juvenile detention.

1999 La. Acts, S 1068 (R.S. 17:1987) Establishes a school district to provide education for youths who are placed in the custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and assigned for confinement in a privately operated correctional center for youth. Requires the state to annually appropriate sufficient money to fund such schools.

1999 Me. Public Laws, LD 2608, Chap. 95 Requires educational programs and schools operated by juvenile correctional facilities to adhere to the same standards as other schools and to be reviewed on an annual basis.

1998 Me. Public Laws, Chap. 752 Sec. 18- Establishes a policy review council to address education of students confined in juvenile facilities.

1999 Minnesota SF 184, Sec. 25, Subd. 4 Allows the court, prior to a postadjudication placement of a juvenile in a secure treatment facility to 1) consider whether the juvenile was adjudicated for a felony offense or failed to appear in court in one or more occasions or run away from home on one or more occasions; 2) conduct a subjective assessment to determine whether the child is a danger to himself or herself or others, would abscond from a nonsecure facility, or if the child's health or welfare would be endangered if not placed in a secure facility; 3) conduct a psychological evaluation; and 4) conduct an educational and physical assessment of the juvenile.

1998 Minn. Laws, Chap. 367 Sec. 1,3,15- Prohibits the corrections and human services commissioners from issuing to or renewing the licenses of residential juvenile facilities that accept non-state juveniles without that state paying for the juvenile's education expenses.

1995 Minn. Laws, Chap. 226, Art. 3 Sec. 4- Requires that an educational assessment be conducted on youth held in all residential facilities.

Sec. 16- Requires the court to offer educational programs for juveniles and their families.

1999 Montana S 1999 Requires regional and county youth detention facilities to provide educational programs for youth in need of that services. Allows facilities to contract with a school district to provide such programs at their facilities. Makes a detention facility that provides an education program for youth eligible to receive education funding.

2000 Ohio Laws, HB 640 Appropriates funds for 21 school districts to develop alternative education programs for youth who have been suspended or expelled, are on probation or parole, are at risk for dropping out of school, or are habitually truant or disruptive.

1996 Ohio Laws, HB 117 Sec. 45.05, 45.30- Authorizes educational service centers to provide education programs to children in private residential placements.

1998 Okla. Sess. Laws, Chap. 268 Sec. 3,4- Requires the Department of Juvenile Justice, in reviewing its programs and services, to include an analysis and evaluation of the number of children who are assessed for literacy skills, the number who fail to demonstrate age appropriate reading skills, and the number who are required to participate in a literacy program. Requires a report and defines a literacy skills improvement program.

1995 Okla. Sess. Laws, Chap. 227 Authorizes public schools to decline educational services in the regular school setting to a pupil who has been adjudicated delinquent or convicted as an adult of a violent offense.

1999 Oregon S 341 (ORS 420A.125) Requires the Oregon Youth Authority to conduct intake assessments when youth offenders and other persons are initially placed in a youth correction facility. The assessment must include a psychological evaluation if one has not been done in the six months prior to commitment. It also must include an education evaluation for a youth offender.

1998 S.C. Acts, Act 428 Sec. 1- Requires the state to meet state standards in determining the size and capacity of juvenile detention facilities. Requires sufficient personnel to provide supervision and educational programs and services to all preajudicatory juveniles.

1994 S.C. Acts, Act 434 Requires the department to provide nonviolent offenders between the ages of 15-18 appropriate accommodations, education and job training.

1999 Tex. Gen. Laws, Chap. 1477 Sec. 26 Authorizes examination of juvenile justice programs and facilities upon reports of abuse or neglect. Regulates provision of educational services by a school district to juveniles in detention within its parameters.

1997 Tex. Gen. Laws, Chap. 1015 Requires placement of expelled students in juvenile justice and alternative education programs.

1997 Tex. Gen. Laws, Chap. 1282 Extends immunity from liability to the juvenile board, county commissioners, county employees and volunteers for actions related to the development of juvenile justice alternative education programs.

1997 Tex. Gen. Laws, Chap. 1394 Requires Texas Juvenile Probation Commission to adopt minimum standards for juvenile justice alternative education programs.

1998 W. Va. Acts, Chap. 18 & 49 Gives responsibility to the state education department to provide educational opportunities to juveniles in secure predispositional detention centers on a 12-month basis.

For information on specific issues, contact NCSL's Denver office at 303/364-7700.

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