Correctional Special Education Survey

The Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice (CCJJ) coordinates all federal juvenile delinquency prevention programs. In support of this mission, CCJJ has initiated a set of activities to conduct research on youth with disabilities within juvenile and adult correctional systems. One important component of this effort is to gather information on the nature of services provided by correctional systems. As part of this initiative, EDJJ staff at the American Institutes for Research, in conjunction with the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, have recently distributed nearly 700 "Correctional Special Education Surveys" to State Directors of Special Education, Adult Corrections, Juvenile Justice, and Juvenile Detention Centers around the country.

Information gathered from the survey will contribute to developing a more accurate picture of the number of youth with disabilities receiving education services in secure correctional settings, the nature of their disabilities, and the nature of the services provided. The survey will also assist the federal government to better determine the resources required to meet the needs of these youth, and the facilities that serve them.

Preliminary results are evailable in an ERIC Digest article.