Little research or curriculum design has been done for the purpose of improving juvenile postsecondary correctional education and limiting recidivism rates of students in the juvenile justice system. Using short fictive narratives and poetry by currently and formerly incarcerated juveniles, Critical Pedagogical Narratives of Long-Term Incarcerated Juveniles: Humanizing the Dehumanized provides an in-depth look at influences that affect their trajectory on the School to Prison Pipeline, and how their experiences interrelate with their educational experience. Gregory Barraza takes a critical look at the absence of one of the most important elements to juvenile justice education often gets overlooked: humanization of the dehumanized. So often, students on the school to prison pipeline and in juvenile justice education fall into the most marginalized sector of education. They are frequently overlooked regarding mental health services and academic services. This book shows that our justice impacted juveniles have a voice and have needs that go overlooked. The students' voice gives insight on the students' life experience and how that experience led them to correctional education. Once we know their "voice" we can give them the necessary educational path that deters from recidivism and a "doing life one day at a time."
Gregory Barraza is teacher, professor, and administrator in alternative and correctional education.
Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter One: The Dehumanization of the Marginalized Student Chapter Two: Inside Voices Chapter Three: Loss and Surrender Chapter Four: Mental Health and Criminality Chapter Five: Poetry as Reflections Chapter Six: Rehabilitate the Rehabilitation References About the Author
In this very important book, Gregory Barraza highlights the intricate and complicated relationships between education, juvenile justice, racism, classism, and mental health for minority youth. Barraza's innovative work incorporates critical race theory, quantitative and qualitative data, Narrative Inquiry, and Arts Based Research to apply a critical pedagogy to detect the inequities in education and criminal justice to provide a better understanding of the current interconnectedness of contemporary social problems that affect marginalized youth. One of its greatest strengths is the moving and empowering stories that we hear through the voices of at promise youth who has worked with. Anyone concerned about how to address the inequalities in education and the criminal justice system, and understanding the complexities of daily life for many young people and there struggles with the structure of formal education should read this book. -- Victoria Carty, Chapman University
