Correctional Education in Juvenile Justice Facilities

Correctional Education In Juvenile Justice Facilities CoverThis guidance package from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) highlights new guidance and technical assistance materials. Anchored by a joint letter to Chief State School Officers and State Attorneys General from ED and the U.S. Department of Justice, the package includes:

  • A set of Guiding Principles for Providing High-Quality Education in Juvenile Justice Secure Care Settings that identifies promising practices for improving education programs in juvenile justice facilities, as well as areas in which Federal legal obligations apply.
  • Dear Colleague Letter on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for Students with Disabilities in Correctional Facilities clarifying State and public agency obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to ensure the provision of a free and appropriate public education to eligible students with disabilities in correctional facilities.
  • Dear Colleague Letter on the Civil Rights of Students in Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities clarifying that those juvenile justice residential facilities that receive Federal funding, like all other public schools, must comply with Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, and disability.
  • Dear Colleague Letter on Access to Pell Grants for Students in Juvenile Justice Facilities for campus financial aid professionals, question and answer document for institutions of higher education, and factsheet for students clarifying that otherwise eligible youth who are confined in juvenile justice facilities are eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants.

The package also includes frequently asked question and fact sheets on the package itself, federal student aid eligibility for students confined in facilities, and pell grant eligibility for this population. The package concludes with available technical assistance support. 

View the guidance package