Eliminating Labels and Racking Up Cultural Capital: Educating Youth in the Juvenile Justice System

• In Event: Dynamic Applied Visions of Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning

Abstract

How do we educate students who are “bad-ass” or “delinquent”? Addressing the particular needs of court-affiliated youth is both a mystery and challenge, especially given the negative histories and labels they often carry. The culture of teaching and learning in three detention center schools is examined in order to understand “doing school” in lockdown and determine what we on “the outs” can learn from our colleagues on the inside. The study contributes to existing research about the literacy education of adjudicated youth and has implications for incorporating social justice discourse into pre-service and graduate programs to improve the education, treatment, and acceptance of all youth in the juvenile justice system—on both sides of the fence.

Author

• Sarah Clarke Staples-Farmer, Lincoln Public Schools