“There’s a big, beautiful world out there—they just need the tools to be a part of it,” said Judge Ana Espana while describing the importance of the Office of Youth and Community Restoration’s pioneering Juvenile Court School Literacy Intervention pilot program for youth who are incarcerated. The Juvenile Court School Literacy Intervention program was a 30-day pilot that screened youth incarcerated in San Diego County for gaps in literacy and implemented a learning plan to support students in strengthening their reading and writing skills.

Launched in 2024, the program was a collaboration between OYCR, the San Diego County Office of Education, reading education program SIPPS (Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words), SOAR Academy, and The Children’s Initiative, an organization that supports San Diego County’s low-income children, youth, and families in thriving.  

Up to 85% of systems-involved youth in California do not have the reading and writing skills adequate to manage daily living and employment tasks, according to data from the California Division of Juvenile Justice. Limited literacy can impact a youth’s entire life trajectory, limiting educational opportunities, leading to higher rates of unemployment, and increasing their likelihood of falling below the poverty level.   

As part of the pilot, OYCR Education Subject Matter Expert Dr. Michael Massa led efforts to assess 130 students who are incarcerated in San Diego County and develop a literacy intervention learning plan to be implemented through SOAR Academy, the county’s court schools system. Twenty-nine students qualified for the program and ten passed the final mastery test, meaning they were ready to advance to the next developmental literacy level. 

As Judge Espana—presiding judge for the San Diego Juvenile Court—describes it, judges, probation officers, and other authority figures working with systems-involved youth have a responsibility to advocate for each youth and their future at every step of the process.  

After representing and overseeing thousands of children during her 40-years of experience with the juvenile justice system, it was clear to Judge Espana that limited literacy needed to be addressed. According to the Judge, youth often struggle to advocate for themselves and tell their stories, as well as succeed in higher education once they exit system care as a result of literacy challenges.  

In order to help address this barrier, the Juvenile Court School Literacy Intervention pilot aimed to provide each student with individual support once a day for 30 minutes. One literacy teacher and three support instructors worked with students on phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, and sight word recognition. By employing a structured sequence of instruction and routines for struggling readers, program educators systematically introduced and helped youth practice these skills, ensuring students advanced in their reading development. 

While the program was only a pilot, Judge Espana said its impact was tangible. In the future, Judge Espana hopes the Juvenile Court School Literacy Intervention program can be expanded beyond the pilot for youth who are incarcerated in San Diego and reach all of those who are systems-involved.

Access to an education that provides the skills necessary to prosper in adulthood should not be denied to the  thousands of youth who need it. OYCR is committed to helping prepare youth who are systems-involved to thrive within their communities, and ensure that a second chance includes opportunities to achieve their educational and career goals. Due to the success of the Juvenile Court School Literacy Intervention program pilot, OYCR is currently in the process of extending this program to three additional counties.