Out of 42,000 children who attend court schools in California as part of the state’s juvenile corrections system, only about 20% re-register at other schools upon their release. A juvenile record combined with the lack of a high school education is a recipe for disaster, and helps fuel California’s large adult prison population.

However, a new bill that passed unopposed through the state’s legislature and chartered by the Secretary of State on September 30th requires county agencies to immediately enroll all students exiting juvenile court schools, which include juvenile halls, day centers, ranches, camps and other county facilities serving youth in detention, eliminating even the potential for a gap in education for these at-risk youth.

Will this bill help with juvenile offenders’ recidivism? Find out more at newamericamedia.org