Delaney Gatine
93 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. Arguendo 59
When they are released from detention centers, two-thirds of juvenile offenders choose not to re-enroll in school. Many children in this position return to socioeconomically disadvantaged, high-crime areas where school may be seen as nonessential. Although educational programming in juvenile detention centers may allow offenders to maintain some association with school, youth in detention centers face an inherent academic disadvantage. Education programs in juvenile facilities lack the resources necessary to prepare participants for continued education after release. These same incarcerated youth often do not have the employment skills to obtain stable jobs after release, leading up to eighty percent to reoffend.
This Note advocates for the expansion of the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (“PIECP”), an existing employment program for incarcerated individuals, into juvenile detention centers. PIECP participation would allow incarcerated youth the opportunity to gain employable skills and earn wages, utilizing their time in detention to reduce the risk of re-offense. Allowing incarcerated juveniles to gain employment skills is essential to addressing the serious recidivism problem among child offenders in the United States. With the employment skills gained from work during incarceration, the juveniles involved in new PIECP work pilot projects would have a viable option upon release of entering the workforce, significantly reducing recidivism for juvenile offenders.
