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LAW EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK AND INCARCERATED MINORS AND ADULTS

THE LEGAL EDUCATION AWARENESS PROGRAM:
LAW EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK CHILDREN
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
FRANK D. JANOWICZ

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Legal Education Awareness Program (LEAP) is a teaching tool designed to assist participants in understanding California criminal law and related issues. The goal of the curriculum is to prevent and reduce criminal behavior by learning skills necessary for effective citizenship. Chapter topics include police procedures, role of the probation department, legal categories for juveniles, the Three Strikes law, incarceration, gangs and subcultures, criminal categories, sealing juvenile records, and parent information.

Students learn that laws must balance rights with responsibilities. They become aware of the balance between the will of the majority and the rights of the minority, and the need for order with the need for basic freedom. They begin to understand why reasonable people sometimes disagree over how the law can protect the rights of some without violating the rights of others. Finally, they learn that laws can be based on moral, economic, political, or social values, and as values change, so do the laws.

LEAP has been used to educate children, parents, teachers and counselors at Central Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles, as well as a number of other organizations, including the California Youth Authority. It has been approved by the California Department of Education (CDE) for 'compliance with social content requirements'? of Education Codes Sections 60040-60044, as well as the State Board of Education's Guideline, which are outlined in the CDE document, Standards for Evaluating Instructional Materials for Social Content. It fulfills the minimum standards by the CDE for the High-Risk Youth
Education and Public Safety Program for Senate Bill 1095, chapter 340, statutes of 1997.

Frank D. Janowicz, teacher and author of the LEAP curriculum, is a trainer, activist, consultant, and former Los Angels Policeman.

Areas of Expertise: Corrections, Jails & Prisons, Police Misconduct, Police Procedure.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Frank D. Janowicz
9904 Aspen Circle
Teacher
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
Central Juvenile Hall School
(562) 864-5434 / Pager: (562) 407-7197

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Posted on June 7, 2004 in General News by law004