The U.S. Departments of Justice and Education Commit to Improving Outcomes for Youth Involved in Juvenile Justice System

Arne Duncan, Secretary, U.S. Department of Education (left), and Eric Holder, Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice (right).

On June 9, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released a joint letter to every state school superintendent and attorney general to emphasize the commitment and efforts made by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education to improve educational outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system. The letter details the importance of implementing policies and practices that support the educational success of youth in confinement; how juvenile justice and educational agencies can partner together to promote their success; and how the two federal agencies are currently working to ensure that youth in confinement and upon reentry receive high-quality educational services and supports.

Among the joint efforts highlighted in the letter is the work that both departments have done in support of the School Discipline Consensus Project, led by the Council of State Governments Justice Center (CSG Justice Center), which culminated in the June 2014 publication of The School Discipline Consensus Report. The report presents a comprehensive set of consensus-based and field-driven recommendations to (a) improve conditions for learning for all students and educators, (b) better support students with behavioral needs, (c) improve police-schools partnerships, and (d) keep students out of the juvenile justice system for minor offenses.

To learn more about the Council of State Governments Justice Center’s School Discipline Project and to view the report, click here.
To learn more about the Council of State Governments Justice Center’s Juvenile Justice Project, click here.