“If you want to save children in the juvenile corrections system, give them art, give them

music, give them literature because their souls are dead.”

Hennepin County Juvenile Court Judge Isabel Gomez

Great Transitions: Struggle Change

Achieve

Prisonerr crys lonely hearts die

What we once had is gone by ouractions we knew it all alongAs I sit and pray that all my bad memories will fad away

Everybody who was once wear I wasbelieve me I have much loveAs tears fall from our eyes I think tomy self how much I despize

The things I use to do thought we were cool

I use to tell myself it will neverhappen to me but look wear I be

Meranda, student CHS, September 1999

Goal

To engage young people involved in the juvenile corrections system with the library and its array of resources and services in order to help them become avid readers and competent information seekers. Great Transitions shows adjudicated youth how the library can help as they struggle, learn to change and ultimately achieve.

Partners

• Hennepin County Library

• Minneapolis Public Library

• Hennepin County Home School (CHS), a locked

facility for long-term incarcerated youth, 13-18 years

old

• Epsilon Program, Hopkins School District

• Hennepin County Juvenile Corrections/Probation

• The Library Foundation of Hennepin County

Objectives

• Help children involved in the juvenile corrections system and the

adults who work with them better understand the role of the public

library in assisting these students to achieve academically and socially

• Offer and promote relevant library services

• Develop library skills

• Foster language/literacy competencies and self-esteem through

performance based, interactive learning activities

• Develop better working relationships between the two library systems,

Hennepin County Juvenile Corrections, Hennepin County Home

School staff, and staff of the Epsilon program at CHS

Funding

• 1997-1999 State of Minnesota Family Service Collaborative Children’s Library Service Grant– $29,000

• 1998 State of Minnesota Children’s Library Outreach Grant–$15,000 to fund publication of Diverse-City literary magazine

• 1999-2001 Alliance for Children and Families Juvenile Corrections Task Force Grant–$45,000

• 2000 YALSA Award of Excellence–$1,000

Program Design

• Practical skills development

• Program content driven by students’ self-

identified needs and interests

• Active student, staff and faculty involvement

• Concrete connection to library materials and

services

Activities UpdateStudents write, discuss, review...

Esteem building through competency development.

•Monthly booktalks by librarians

•Diverse-City literary publication Click to view

•Mock Printz award process facilitated by Adela Peskorz, Printz Award Committee Member Click to view Click to view

•Options North Alternative High School Personal Essay Writing/bookmarking project with author A.P. Porter and Illustrator Janice Lee Porter Click to view Click to view

•Poetry writing workshop at CHS presented by author John Coy Click to view Click to view Click to view

•CHS students review galleys of Capstone Press Life Skills titles

•Probation meetings to be held at local libraries

Outcomes

• Transition from library/literacy programs presented during children’s incarceration to their probation activities

• Improved reading scores on state-mandated tests

• Better relations with CHS staff, Epsilon Program faculty, juvenile corrections and probation

“It’s a gift to students to define them as readers, reviewers, poets, writers and to engage them in activities where they take on these identities. These images stand in stark contrast to juvenile delinquent, problem child, stupid, and other commonly used identifiers.” Pat Splett, PhD, Project Evaluator Click to view

Challenges

• Building relations and dealing with each organization’s bureaucracies is time consuming and energy draining

• Defining library resources and services in terms that partners and participants understand and find relevant is also hard work

• Modifying program components and expectations as project develops is essential

• Being firm and articulate with partners and students involved in project helps participants meet expectations

“Thanks for teaching things about books. I never knew reading could be so fun.

When I was out, I never did read a book. But now that you showed me how fun it can be, I’m going to read every book I

can, not just ‘cause of you. But because I really like reading and like to learn new

things. Things I never knew.”

Student, Hennepin County Home School