Preparing D.C.’s Youth Offenders For School, Work
Today, we’re examining joblessness among D.C.’s formerly incarcerated adults as they struggle to reenter society. But what about D.C.’s juvenile offenders? NPR partner Turnstyle speaks with Daniel Okonkwo of DC Lawyers for Youth about changes in the District’s approach to youth detention and how juvenile offenders are being prepared for work and college.
- Source: Turnstylenews
“A lot of the kids at Oak Hill were actually suspended from the school [within the facility], so not only were they ripped from their communities and taken away from their community schools and isolated, they weren’t even getting an education at Oak Hill. But now we have young people who are coming out [of New Beginnings] and getting reconnected to school and reconnected to the degree that they’re going onto college.
“There are also young people that are learning trades. There’s a metal workshop that New Beginnings has that teaches kids vocational work. No thought was given to the reentry of young people [back into their communities] during the days of Oak Hill. Or if there was any thought it was, ‘just give them some schooling and they’ll be okay on their own.’ New Beginnings actually tracks them 6 months out to make sure they’re still connected to school.”
Read more at: turnstylenews.com