Monograph Series on Education, Disability and Juvenile Justice

NRPA/NTRS Pre-Conference InstituteOctober 21, 2003 St. Louis, MO

David HowardIndiana State University

Mary Quinn & Jeffrey PoirierAmerican Institutes for ResearchCenter for Effective Collaboration & Practice

A brief look back . . .

Lorraine Peniston University of New Mexico Developing recreation skills in

people with learning disabilities (1998).

David Howard Cornerstone Counseling

Center (Utah) Chair, NTRS Youth at Risk &

Corrections Committee

The Role of Recreation in Preventing Youth with Behavioral and Cognitive Disabilities from Coming into Contact with the

Juvenile Justice System and Preventing Recidivism

Section I: Being “at-risk” Characteristics of youth without healthy

recreation involvement and or intervention

Factors of exclusion from full participation in activity

Benefits of recreation participation

Categories of Disorders

Learning Disabilities Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Educable/Mild Mentally Retarded Conduct Disorder Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Family, Community and Economic Factors

Substance Abuse

Delinquency School Dropout Violence

Availability of drugs x

Media portrayals of violence x

Transitions and mobility x x x

Extreme economic deprivation x x x x

Family mgmt. problems x x x x

Family conflict x x x xParental attitudes x x x

Risk Factors

Com

munit

yFa

mily

Health and Behavior Problems

Howell, 1995

Family, Community and Economic Factors

Substance Abuse

Delinquency School Dropout Violence

Early/persistent antisocial behavior x x x X

Early academic failure x x x XLack of

commitment x x x xRebelliousness x x x X

Friends with problem bx x x X X

Favorable attitude toward problem bx x x X XEarly initiation of

problem bx x x x x

Risk Factors

Sch

ool

Ind

ivid

ual/Peer

Health and Behavior Problems

Howell, 1995

Section II: The role of community recreation agencies serving youth at risk for involvement

in the juvenile justice system

Parks and Recreation National Survey (Schultz, Crompton & Witt, 1995)

NRPA report Beyond Fun and Games: Emerging Roles of Public Recreation (Tindall, 1995)

Title V Community Prevention Grants Programs

Section II: The role of community recreation agencies serving youth at risk for involvement

in the juvenile justice system

State-sponsored Prevention and Intervention Programs

After-school and community recreation services

Therapeutic recreation and its role in serving youth at risk

Appendices

Recreation program descriptions and contact information

Copy of research survey related to youth at-risk and recreation

Disability etiquette

Juvenile Justice System

Responds to the belief that there is a fundamental difference between children and adults

Children can be positively influenced by rehabilitation efforts

Relevant Legislation

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Title II of the Americans with

Disabilities Act Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act

History of this Initiative

March 1997 Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention National Institute for Literacy National Recreation and Park Association US Department of Education’s Office of Vocational

and Adult Education Goals

Discuss relationship between disabilities and delinquency

Make recommendations to the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Conclusion

The inability of community institutions (including the components of the juvenile justice system) to respond to cognitive and behavioral disabilities contributed to higher arrest rates for youth with disabilities as well as to more restrictive placements, longer placements, and higher recidivism rates.

Recommendations

“a revitalized interagency effort, initiated by the Coordinating Council, was urgently needed to reverse the tide of children who are failing in school, engaging in delinquency and violence, and increasingly spending the final years of their youth incarcerated”

Foci

Prevent delinquency and subsequent incarceration

Prevent recidivism

Results of the 1997 Meeting

Monograph Series National Survey to Determine Special

Education Services for Juvenile Offenders with Disabilities

Monograph Series

Addressing Invisible Barriers: Improving Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities in the Juvenile Justice System

Advocating for Children with Behavioral and Cognitive Disabilities in the Juvenile Justice System

Best Practices for Serving Court-involved Youth with Learning, Attention and Behavioral Disabilities

Collaboration in the Juvenile Justice System and Youth-serving Agencies: Improving Prevention, Providing More Efficient Services, and Reducing Recidivism for Youth with Disabilities

Corrections and Juvenile Justice: Current Education Practice for Youth with Behavioral and Cognitive Disabilities.

Monograph Series

The Role of Recreation in Preventing Youth with Behavioral and Cognitive Disabilities from Coming into Contact with the Juvenile Justice System and Preventing Recidivism

Youth with Disabilities in the Corrections System: Prevalence Rates and Identification Issues.

Comprehensive Strategy

We Must: Strengthen the family Support core social institutions Promote delinquency prevention Intervene immediately and effectively

when delinquent behavior occurs Identify and control serious, violent, or

chronic offenders

Protective Factors

Individual Social bonding Beliefs and standards for behavior

Social Development Strategy

Healthy Behaviors

Healthy BeliefsAnd

Clear Standards

Bonding•Attachment

•Commitment

Opportunities RecognitionSkills

Individual Characteristics

Prevention and Early Intervention

Of What? 1997-over 2.8 million juvenile arrests 8% considered chronic $76-98 Billion per year

Must focus on levels of need Universal Selective Indicated Prevention

Strengths of youth and family must be recognized

Strengths-based Approach

Samples Self-confidence Sense of humor Hobbies Participates in family or community

activities Uses appropriate language Talks about positive aspects of life

Specific Learning Disability

Normal range of intelligence Will not “outgrow” May have difficulty:

Holding a conversation Meeting social expectations Making plans Organizing thoughts Using problem-solving techniques

Social Difficulties for Youth with LD

May display social/emotional problems Misunderstand social cues Misinterpret the feelings of others Motivational problems

Lack of control over situations Little sense of control over their own lives

Insecure Low self-esteem

Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Root of problem is the individuals ability to regulate emotions

Difficult to control emotions, so Difficult to control behavior

Types of Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Conduct Problems Improper regulation of anger and anxiety

systems Specific phobias

Unrealistic or excessive fears Panic disorders

Persistent concern about or extensive avoidance of situations

Types of Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Persistent ideas, impulses or images Repetitive acts to relieve anxiety

Post-traumatic stress disorder Persistent re-examining of some trauma Feelings of guilt for surviving or what had

to be done to survive Avoidance of things associated with the

event Feeling “numb” or hyper-alertness

Types of Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Mood disorders Depression Mania Bipolar

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Extremely physically active and fidgety impulsive, Inattentive

Co-morbidity

Survey Purpose

To effect policy change, developed survey to identify prevalence rates since previous studies provided only prevalence estimates

Previous studies also excluded detention data or particular disability categories

Policymakers need figures to design and implement policy

Method

Requested December 1, 2000 counts because similar data would be collected for mandatory census reports for OSEP; these reports aggregate corrections and detention data—these reports do not indicate placement (e.g., school v. juvenile justice setting)

Piloted survey in 9 settings in 4 states Mailed survey in fall 2000, followed-up through spring

2001 Participants:

547 secure state, local and county juvenile detention facilities 91 state juvenile and adult corrections systems 51 Offices of Special Education in each State Department of

Education

Response Rates

Detention: 64%

Juvenile Corrections, 71% (27 states); Combined Correction 100% (8 states)

State Education: 40%

Gender

Detention: 18% female, 82% male

Juvenile Corrections: 11% female, 89% male

Ages

Detention: 16-18yo: 51% 13-15yo: 39% 10-12yo: 4%

Juvenile Corrections: 16-18yo: 48% 13-15yo: 32% 10-12yo: 12%

Prevalence Rates

Detention: 29% in facilities with a method to determine eligibility for IDEA

Juvenile Corrections: 33%

Primary Disabilities

Detention facilities indicated disability categories for 99% of incarcerated youth eligible for IDEA services

Three largest disability categories: Specific learning disabilities, 42% Emotional disturbance, 40% Mental retardation, 5%

Primary Disabilities

SDJC indicated disability categories for 95% of incarcerated youth eligible for IDEA services

Three largest disability categories: Emotional disturbance, 49% Specific learning disabilities, 36% Mental retardation, 10%

Key Survey Findings

Approximately 3 times as many youth with disabilities in detention and juvenile corrections as in the public schools.

About half have a learning disability and have have serious emotional disturbance

Role of Recreation

Prevention of delinquency and subsequent incarceration

Prevention of recidivism