San Diego County Grand Jury
• 2013-2014
The Education and Rehabilitation of At-risk Juveniles an Opportunity for Positive Change
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings 9 findings
F01
All schools should have up-to-date teaching materials. Fact: State law provides guidelines for the operation of juvenile court educational programs for a five-days-a-week year round school program. Fact: Recently, the school year was broken up into regular year and summer, winter and spring intersessions. Ibid 30 On-line biography of Sandra L. McBrayer http://www.thechildrensinitiative.org/sandbybio.htm. Voice of San Diego, October 8, 2013, Dianne Feinstein. http://voiceofsandiego.org/2013/10/08/the-senate-has- san-diegos-monarch-school-in-its-crosshairs/ 12
F02
Breaking up the school year is in violation of California Education Code 48645, as well as disrupting the continuity and quality of education of the students. Fact: Teachers could not assign homework as students had no after school time.
F03
After school hours were under the control of the SDCPD which made no allowance for studying, researching, or school projects. Fact: At the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, there are four Special Education teachers on site. Fact: Camp Barrett has two Special Education teachers with 30 boys on IEPs who are being mainstreamed into regular classes. Fact: Both East Mesa and Camp Barrett are located in remote areas with no public transportation available. Fact: California Education Code 56043(b) states that parental involvement is mandatory for a student’s Individual Educational Programs (IEPs).
F04
With parents having to travel the long distance to East Mesa and Camp Barrett (many even from Mexico), parental visits are few and far between.
F05
This lack of parental participation is in violation of California Education Code 56043(b). Fact: Security software (firewalls) is in place in the facilities to prevent abuse of internet access by the facility population.
F06
The security software (firewalls) in the facilities often block students’ permitted use of computer sites. Fact: At Rancho Del Campo, the SDCPD has established a rewards program (shortening sentence) if a boy made the honor roll. Fact: This rewards program was not in place in the other detention facilities.
F07
Pursuant to comments from the staff, this rewards program seemed to be very motivational. Fact: At Rancho Del Campo, the Grand Jury observed a teacher passing out packet work sheets to the students.
F08
Administrators and teachers interviewed were strongly opposed to the use of packet work. Fact: The San Pasqual Academy has a capacity of 184 beds. Fact: When the Grand Jury visited the Academy on January 29, 2014, there were 69 unoccupied beds.
F09
San Pasqual Academy has the capacity to accommodate JCCS students who may not have appropriate living arrangements available following completion of formal probation.
Recommendations 9
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14-39Page 14Provide up-to-date teaching materials and other educational resources at all
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14-40Page 14Discontinue the intersessions and restore the year round program or require
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14-41Page 14As the law (Education Code 56043(b)) mandates, in facilities where parental
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14-42Page 14Prohibit the use of packet work, in place of teacher instruction, in all the
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14-43Page 14Accommodate students with one hour of time after school for reading,
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14-44Page 14Institute the rewards program (shortening sentence if a student makes the
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14-45Page 14In all the facilities where classes are being held, allow students access to
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14-46Page 14Work with the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency to
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14-47Page 15Collaborate with the Juvenile Court to recommend the referral of those
No Responses Found 2
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
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