Challenges with school re-entry for incarcerated youth and inadequacies of collaborative service provision by schools and agencies

Abstract

The transition from incarceration back to school and community settings is daunting for youth (ages 13-18) and crucial for enhancing their likelihood of accessing sustainable pathways to promising futures. The reentry youth population is comprised of the most marginalized and oppressed communities of youth. While scholarship into youth incarceration and reentry focuses on predicting and preventing recidivism and the need to improve reentry/transition services for this vulnerable and marginalized population of youth, the need to rethink and develop new approaches to improving service provision is needed. Collaboration across service providers is necessary but insufficient to produce the critical changes to service provision that is so sorely needed.