When young people are on probation or paroled from a penal institution, one of the greatest challenges they face are gaps in their education that will prevent them from obtaining meaningful employment. Schools are absolutely essential in making certain that such gaps can be mended.
Maryland’s juvenile-justice department, which in the past took responsibility for the education of alleged juvenile offenders, is now transferring over the responsibility for teaching of these youth to the state’s educational department. However, such a transfer is faced with a number of obstacles since the curriculum students encountered in juvenile facilities is not the same as what it will be in the public schools.
The youth often leave the juvenile facilities with a wide variety of needs, and if such needs are not met the young person is liable to reoffend. A number of conditions are often set upon a juvenile’s parole, and it’s important that such conditions are negotiated in a way that can meet the youth’s circumstances.
There are a number of criminal defense attorneys that have experience in helping such young people out and making certain that their education needs are met. The goal is more than simply keeping them out of jail. It is also important that such juveniles can be assimilated back into society and can turn their lives around in every area.
Most juvenile offenses are of the non-violent variety, and very seldom do these individuals present an actual threat to other people their age. If such individuals can be reached while they are still young, the chances that they will ever present such a threat can be eliminated.
Source: Education Week, “Road Back to School is Rocky for Ex-Offenders,” by Jaclyn Zubrzycki, April 23, 2012