In 1990, The Americans with Disabilities Act ruled that, regardless of age, inmates were entitled to continued special education services in correctional facilities. This qualitative case study identified perceptions of recidivism in incarcerated adolescents with special education needs. In this study the correctional education programs were critical in determining an effective transition plan for schools, community, employment, and daily living. The study identified perceptions from adolescent inmate participants and prison personnel. The challenges were complex when compounded with recidivist behaviors that impacted graduation from high school, transitioning into employment, and becoming productive citizens. The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions that contributed to recidivism of adolescents with special education needs who were incarcerated. Challenges correctional facilities faced when meeting the needs of these adolescents were examined. This study was important because very little data had been compiled about perceptions that affect recidivism, and none had asked adolescent inmates about their perspectives of their own recidivist behaviors. It was important to know what efforts were being made by prison personnel to decrease recidivism in the 18 to 21 year-old population with special education needs. A variety of methods were incorporated to investigate commonalities among incarcerated adolescents including interviews and anecdotal notes to create a narrative from the interviews with the use of triangulation. The researcher examined a pattern-matching structure that maintained a chain of events to ensure accuracy and confirm validity of the findings. The single-case explanatory methodology was the most suitable choice for this investigation. Data collection and analysis revealed there is much more work to be done for adolescents than has been provided by school districts, families, and community agencies.
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