An Act to ensure educational rights are upheld for incarcerated youth

This bill ensures incarcerated youth under 22 in Massachusetts correctional facilities (including county houses of corrections and state facilities) have access to educational opportunities equivalent to those in public schools. It requires schools to credit coursework completed in custody toward graduation, mandates special education services for eligible students, and sets a minimum standard of 6 hours of classroom instruction daily, 12 months a year. The bill also guarantees access to vocational training, high school equivalency programs (like GED), and college-level courses while in custody. These provisions apply regardless of a youth’s disciplinary status or facility classification.