ACCESS Juvenile Hall school

What is a Juvenile Court School?

ACCESS Juvenile Hall School (AJH) can include day centers, group homes, and social service facilities that are county operated. Students are referred to AJH by probation, social services, or the School Attendance Review Board (SARB). The State of California makes every effort to continue the education of each child with the long-term goal of reaffirming their abilities and renewing a sense of responsibility to the community. Orange County Department of Education operates a variety of different juvenile court school programs.

AJH school programs provide year-round education. Students attend school daily, Monday through Friday, for a minimum of 240 minutes in a classroom setting where teachers facilitate learning through small group instruction.

Students educated through this program are incarcerated youth who are detained at a detention or treatment facility. The two schools located in the following institutions operate under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974: Orange County Juvenile Hall (Otto Fischer) and Youth Guidance Center (Rio Contiguo).

Who might attend a court school?

Recent research was conducted to profile such students, enabling ACCESS programs to serve them better. Based on the most recent research, we found that the average AJH student is 15 years of age, in the tenth grade, and a minority male. Trends show an increase in female and middle school-age students with low basic academic skill levels. Students often display skills well below grade level in most subjects and generally are behind in credits required for high school graduation. Often students come from families that lack the resources needed to successfully meet educational and life goals.

Students generally display behavioral problems that result in serious consequences such as truancies, expulsions, and court records. Involvement in gangs, substance abuse, and/or criminal records often plays a part in the lives of the youth in this category.