Division of Child and Family Services
CARSON CITY — This is the time of year that high school seniors across the state are preparing to walk the stage in what many will say is their first big accomplishment: Graduation. Youth in Nevada’s state juvenile justice facilities are also working towards this graduation accomplishment by earning their diplomas or equivalency certificates.
These youth have an opportunity to place their difficult pasts behind them and focus on education and the advancement of their educational goals. Youth can earn high school diplomas, equivalency certificates, college credits, and vocational certifications.
While classes are provided to juvenile justice involved youth year round, the students earned 37 high school diplomas, 1762 credits, and 296 vocational certificates during the traditional school year from August 2016 through May 2017.
Currently, there are 206 youth from across the state court ordered to one of three Nevada Division of Child and Family Services Juvenile Justice facilities — Caliente Youth Center (Caliente), Nevada Youth Training Center (Elko) or Summit View Youth Center (Las Vegas).
At CYC and SVYC, the State works in conjunction with Lincoln County School District and Clark County District respectively; the Division operates its own independent high school at NYTC. On average, youth remain at a youth center for six to nine months, depending on how long it takes them to successfully complete the programming.
Education can be the key to helping a youth shift his or her direction from further criminal activity to a healthy productive life once they complete their programming and are able to return to their communities.
Upon graduation, one youth said, “I always grew up thinking I’d get my GED so getting my diploma is a big deal.”
Visit http://dcfs.nv.gov/Programs/JJS/ to learn more about Nevada’s Juvenile Justice Program.
