Video: Incarcerated Youth Receiving Quality Education

COLUMBUS, Miss.(WCBI)—Many feel like the word incarceration means forfeiting the ability to go to school. Receiving a quality education is important, especially for the youth.

According to Juvenile Justice Information Exchange dot org, many states are struggling to provide incarcerated youth with adequate educational and vocational services.

“Being incarcerated is not the end of life. We encourage the students to let them know that this is not the end. Whether it’s educationally or emotionally mentally. We try to feed into the children who are here,”said Lowndes County Detention Center Teacher Sherell Drake.

For 16 years Drake’s been assisting student, who’ve had a brush in with the law, get going in a more positive direction. She says that first starts with providing the students an actual working classroom.

” We go directly to the schools and they send their work here. Additionally we have computer based programs whether it’s edmentum or plato where students have supplemental work. We help them do tutorials we have IXL edmoto, so we have several different opportunities for students to get one on one services in a smaller classroom setting rather than being in normal schools,”said Drake.

The Mississippi Department of Education mandated certified personnel at detention centers as of 2008. Drake says it’s an interesting learning environment but it’s a service the kids need.

“As you can see it’s definitely different because we have student who range grades 7 to 11 in one classroom setting. Some times challenging because our students are often behind 3-4th grade levels. Getting that work from the school isn’t always accurate we have to go back sometimes and reiterate and re mediate for the levels they are performing on,”said Drake.

Drake says her job is a little easier thanks to the partnership with the schools.

” We have a wonderful relationship with Lowndes County Schools where we get our kids from as well. We do have a representative at the school who I have direct contact with and then here we have certified teachers as well and A.T. and things to help the students one on one,”said Drake.

Adults are usually released from prison early for good behavior. Drake says Judge Beverly Franklin applies the same rule here.

” When the students are behaving outside of class…in class completing their work she does take in consideration letting them out early. We have what is called 45 day review and my self as well as the officers are involved in courting she asks us questions and gets our input. sometimes the kids don’t like to go to class they don’t want to but not participating in additional services could give them additional time,”said Drake.

Research shows that 2 million kids are arrested or go through the juvenile detention system in the U.S. Every Year.