66.038 - I.T. v. Los Angeles County: Improving Equity in Juvenile Corrections for Youth With Developmental Disabilities

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Incarcerated youth disproportionately come from low-income and ethnic and racial minority communities. Youth with disabilities are overrepresented in detention/correction facilities compared to youth without disabilities. I.T. v. Los Angeles County alleged violations of antidiscrimination laws related to serving youth with developmental disabilities in county juvenile detention facilities. This presentation describes the violations leading to the case, the Settlement Agreement, and the data collected by a team of criminal justice and special education researchers that helped determine compliance with the Settlement Agreement and the effectiveness of the implementation of the reforms. Also discussed will be similarities and differences of this case and others nationwide intended to improve juvenile corrections for youth with disabilities.

Sub Unit

• Division L - Educational Policies and Politics / Division L - Section 2: Legal/Judicial Issues for Underserved Populations

Chair

• Lois A. Weinberg, California State University - Los Angeles

Papers

• The Case of I.T. v. Los Angeles County - Brian Capra, Public Counsel

• I.T. v. Los Angeles County: The Role of Quantitative Data in Assessing Institutional Reform - Lois A. Weinberg, California State University - Los Angeles; Denise Herz, California State University - Los Angeles; Kristine Chan, California State University - Los Angeles

• I.T. v. Los Angeles County: The Role of Qualitative Data in Assessing Institutional Reform - Jolan Smith, University of California - Los Angeles; Michael Oshiro, University of California - Los Angeles; Lois A. Weinberg, California State University - Los Angeles

Discussant

• Peter Leone, University of Maryland