Res 0107-2018

By Council Members Rose and Brannan Whereas, The Administration for Children's Services Division of Youth and Family Justice ("DYFJ") is charged with coordinating the detention of the City's court involved youth; and Whereas, During the City's 2017 fiscal year there were a total of 2,126 youth placed in detention with an average length of stay of 23 days; and Whereas, As part of the services provided by DYFJ, youth in detention receive education services administered by the Department of Education ("DOE") in coordination with DYFJ through its Passages Academy; and Whereas, Passages Academy is a full-time educational program that tailors its curriculum to the needs of youth in detention and is open during the regular DOE school year as well as for summer school; and Whereas, According to assessments conducted by DOE, ninety-four percent of residents in juvenile detention read below grade level and forty percent read below a fourth grade level; and Whereas, Studies conducted by The National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center indicate that youth with learning difficulties have a higher propensity for gang membership; and Whereas, These studies also show that academic outcomes achieved during incarceration, including reading improvement, reduce recidivism; and Whereas, Juveniles in detention during the summer should have mandatory education services provided to them, no matter their standing, in order to increase their level of education and make their time in detention more productive; and Whereas, Mandatory classes during the summer months will assist detained youth by ensuring additional education services; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the Administration for Children's Services Division of Youth and Family Justice to require all juveniles detained in New York City facilities during the summer months to attend school. WJH LS 51/Res. 25 - 2014 LS 96 12/20/17