A Senate committee in Florida is undertaking comprehensive juvenile justice reform, and one aspect of that reform is education.
Senator Stephen Wise, a Republican from Jacksonville, has introduced legislation (Senate Bill 834) to ensure that juveniles receive an education while committed. For youth who have already received a high school diploma or its equivalent, the bill would require the offender to receive an industry-specific certification.
The legislation requires some sort of education (which is negatively correlated with recidivism) for all juveniles, virtual learning (if necessary), and performance measures and cost statements.
These steps for the juvenile justice system in Florida will reemphasize education for youthful offenders and could provide the tools to break the cycle of criminality.