Promoting postsecondary success of court-involved youth

1. Promoting postsecondary success of court-involved youth Sophia Morel, CASESHector Rivera, Our Piece of the Pie, Inc.Yelena Nemoy, National Youth Employment Coalition The Corps Network 2014 National Conference ▪ February 11, 2014 ▪ Washington, DC

2. About the national youth employment coalition • National member network established in 1979. • Mission: improve the effectiveness of organizations that help youth become productive citizens. • Members: direct service providers, researchers, policymakers, advocates, intermediaries and technical assistance providers from across the nation. • Our Work: NYEC promotes youth centered quality standards; monitors, proposes and influences policy decisions, and convenes professional development opportunities.

3. POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS INITIATIVE PILOT initiative supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations. SUPPORTS a network of CBOs in engaging disconnected youth onto a path leading to postsecondary attainment and employment at a living wage. PARTNERS:Jobs For The Future, YouthBuild USA, The Corps Network, and Brandeis University Center for Youth and Communities. REPORT: Promoting Postsecondary Success of Court-Involved Youth: Lessons From the NYEC Postsecondary Success Pilot. http://nyec.org/content/documents/NYEC_Court_Involved_Youth_Postsecondary_Final_May_2013.pdf FEATURED SITES: CASES (New York, NY); College Initiative (New York, NY); ISUS, Inc. (Dayton, OH); Los Angeles Conservation Corps (CA); My Turn, Inc. (Brockton, MA); Our Piece of the Pie, Inc. (Hartford, CT); X-Cel, Inc. (Boston, MA).

4. Context: mass incarceration TOTAL: 1 in 34 Americans under correctional control in 2011.1 YOUTH: 70,792 in juvenile facilities in 2010.2 DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT:African American youth are five times more likely, and Latino youth are twice as likely, to be confined than White youth.3 DISCONNECTION: Only 30% of youth exiting residential facilities are working or in school within 12 months of release. 4 1.Glaze, L. and Parks, E. (2011). Correctional Population in the United States 2011. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2, 3 . The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2013). Kids Count Data Snapshot: Reducing Youth Incarceration in the United States. Baltimore, MD. 4. Altschuler, D., Stangler, G., Berkley, K., and Burton, L. (2009). Supporting Youth in Transition to Adulthood: Lessons Learned from Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice.

5. Impacts of incarceration 1. New York State Bar Association. (2006). Re-Entry and Reintegration: Report and Recommendations of the Special Committeeon Collateral Consequences of Criminal Proceedings. New York, Albany. 2. Schmitt, J., Warner, K., and Gupta, S. (2010). The High Budgetary Cost of Incarceration. Washington, D.C.: Center for Economic and Policy Research. 3. Gorgol, L.E. and Sponsler, B.A. (2011). Unlocking Potential: Results of a National Survey of Postsecondary Education in State Prisons. Washington, D.C.: Institute for Higher Education Policy.

6. Why education? 1. Carnevale A. P., Smith, N., Strohl, J. (2010). Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Retrieved from http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/FullReport.pdf. 2. Page, A., Petteruti, A., Walsh, N., and Ziedenber, J. (2007). Education and Public Safety. Washington, D.C.: The Justice Policy Institute.

7. PSI FRAMEWORK BACK ON TRACK THREE-PHASE MODEL (JOBS FOR THE FUTURE)

8. Barriers to success & interventions INTERNAL BARRIERS • Psychosocial impacts of stigmatization • “College is not for me” • Gaps in academic readiness, college knowledge PROMISING PRACTICES & INTERVENTIONS • Peer Mentoring: connect to positive peer models and networks • College Going Culture: reinforce belief in possibility of success • Social Capital: build personal assets, resources, networks, relationships • Academic Support & College Navigation: provide tutoring, assist with college-related tasks

9. Barriers to success & interventions EXTERNAL BARRIERS • Lack of resources, employment • Criminal records • Supervision requirements • Financial aid eligibility PROMISING PRACTICES • Intensive Case Management: provide adult support, interventions • Sealing and Expunging Juvenile Records: improve employment prospects • Hands-on Learning and Work Experiences: develop workforce skills • Partnerships: increase resources available to students

10. PROMISING Practices: examples Academic Supports: • LA Corps: academic coaching / tutoring program • CASES, College Initiative: college prep program • X-Cel: Accuplacer prep and testing Case Management: • Our Piece of the Pie: positive youth development approach • CASES: education-focused College Going Culture: • All sites: early conversations about college; exposure to college materials and information; college tours; and college and career panels Hands-on Learning: • LA Corps: internships, workforce training programs • ISUS: stackable credentials Partnerships: • All sites: community colleges • LA Corps: providers of mental health, housing, legal aid • College Initiative: NY Department of Corrections Peer Mentoring: • College Initiative: CI Mentors • X-Cel: cohorting Sealing Juvenile Records: • ISUS: court advocate • X-Cel: CBO partner can check, seal records Social Capital: • College Initiative: mentors provide connections to resources, networks

11. Sophia Morel, Director Youth Education Services, CASES

12. Diversion Programs (court-mandated) Shared Services Voluntary Programs CASES Youth Programs Choices ATD • an alternative to juvenile detention • participants have Family Court cases in Manhattan Court Employment Project • a six-month alternative to incarceration • participants have Supreme Court cases in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, or the Bronx Next Steps Post-secondary Initiative • Enroll, retain and support participants in college Career Exploration • provides job-readiness training and subsidized internships in the community HSE Preparation Program • Instruction in preparation for HSE exam Civic Justice Corps • serves youth with previous juvenile justice system involvement • provides case management, education services, and service learning opportunities Justice Scholars • serves previously court-involved youth annually • provides case management, education services, and community referrals Queens Justice Corps • serves previously court-involved youth from Southeast Queens annually • provides case management, education services, internships and service learning opportunities

13. Next Steps Supports Financial Supports Monthly car fare, cafeteria vouchers, books, debt relief, tuition assistance Social Supports On-going case management, recreational activities, leadership workshops, celebratory events Academic Supports On-site tutoring, registration advisement, on-site computer lab w/ printer, academic counseling

14. Next Steps Program Model

15. Employment Services Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Next Steps students participated were placed in individual placements rather than the traditional group placement. This was a summer retention strategy 15 of the 18 Next Steps students enrolled in college from Fall 2013 Largest group to persist from Spring to Fall semester On-going Employment services: School Year: as needed employment counseling and job placement Winter Break: Work Readiness workshops, preparing for Work Study, planning for coming semester Summer Break: SYEP and other summer internship opportunities

16. SYEP Job Profiles of Next Steps Participants • Vincent: Friends of the Rockaways • Intake clients needing relief services • Support various tasks around office of intakes • Tyrell: GrowNYC • Led Tours of Green Markets • Gave hands-on demonstrations to student groups • Shaquanna: CCA “Soul Sisters” • Interest in obtaining MSW • Participated in training to learn how to mentor at-risk girls • Was a counselor at the summer institute for girls

17. Hector Rivera Chief Operating Officer, Our Piece of the Pie

18. Our Piece of the Pie (OPP) Overview • Mission: To help urban youth become economically independent adults • The OPP Model: • OPP Priority Populations: • Foster Care • Juvenile Justice/ Court Involved • Over Aged/Under Credited

19. Our Piece of the Pie (OPP) Overview • OPP Service Settings • Communities: • Central CT • Eastern CT • High Schools: • Opportunity High School (Hartford, CT) • The Learning Academy (Bloomfield, CT) • Briggs High School (Norwalk, CT) • PATH Academy Charter School (Opening August 2014, Windham, CT) • Community Colleges: • Capital Community College (Multiple Career Tracks, Hartford, CT) • Asnunutck Community College (Manufacturing Track, Enfield, CT)

20. Our Piece of the Pie (OPP) Overview • Our Piece of the Pie Historical Performance: • 82% of our In School Youth (ISY) graduate on time • 77% of our High School graduates enroll in Postsecondary Ed. • 61% of those who enroll in Postsecondary Ed. obtain a Postsecondary credential • 81% of those place in employment retain employment for 12 months or more • Additional Our Piece of the Pie’s Organizational Capacity: • Research & Evaluation • Performance Management • Data Mapping & Metrics • Talent Development

21. Recommendations for program design & practice program design & implementation • Integrate secondary education, postsecondary education, and workforce development • Identify service gaps and comprehensive service approaches (State, local, and other CBO) • Identify and retain the right staff to work with this population (staff development) practice • Set expectations • Programmatic consistency and flexibility • Programmatic dosage • Support academic and college readiness and career planning • Provide legal resources and support • Promote peer mentoring

22. Recommendations for policy & systems change policy & systems change • Support multiple pathways to and through secondary and postsecondary • Support comprehensive programs that serve court-involved youth but do not exclusively focus on this population • Maintain and increase investment in programs • Facilitate cross-system communication (strategic partnering)

23. For more information Sophia Morel, Director, Youth Education Services, CASES smorel@cases.org Hector Rivera, Chief Operating Officer, Our Piece of the Pie, Inc. Hector.Rivera@opp.org Yelena Nemoy, Project Manager, NYEC yn@nyec.org