고담미스트 | New York City is failing to provide basic educational services to youth in juvenile detention, according to a new report released this morning by Advocates for Children of New York.

The group also notes that the city’s Department of Education has failed to report key data from Passages Academy — which has locations throughout the city serving court-involved youth — leaving questions about attendance and educational progress.

The findings come as the City Council prepares to hold an oversight hearing Monday on school access inside juvenile detention facilities. The report draws on two years of city data and testimony from the organization’s clients. Together they paint a picture of a vulnerable group of young people contending with service gaps and a lack of support who often return home without a solid school placement.

The report urges the city to ensure every public school has a mental health clinic or a community provider; to fund more specialized programming for students with emotional and behavioral challenges; and to improve the process for students leaving detention by employing more transition specialists and strengthening support at the public schools’ Family Welcome Centers.

“The biggest takeaway is that court-involved youth have a level of need that simply isn’t being met,” said Rohini Singh, who directs the advocacy organization’s School Justice Project. “There should be targeted investments and interventions to ensure they’re getting an appropriate education before they enter detention, while they’re there and when they come home.”