New Jersey has agreed to improve special education services for inmates with disabilities. The case before U.S. District Court was first brought four years ago by three inmates in the state’s adult jails who said their civil right to an education and all its accommodations for those with disabilities were infringed upon, some maintaining they were receiving no educational services at all.
The settlement—which could encompass hundreds of inmates and former inmates—seeks to provide programs inside prison that are comparable to those available in public schools, as required by the landmark federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The state’s departments of corrections and education would agree to establish and enforce protocols for identifying students and their needs, to provide the instruction, counseling, and other services required, and to continue, if needed, to provide services beyond the students’ time in state custody.
The case relates only to inmates 21 years old or younger who are serving time or have served time in the state’s adult prisons since 2015. It does not include the state’s juvenile corrections programs.
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