Disaggregate: Justice involvement

What to know about measurement

There is no single definition of justice involvement used across sectors. Our suggested definition, which draws on the Institute for Higher Education Policy’s Higher Education in Prison Key Performance Indicator Framework, is intentionally broad. At the K–12 level, schools may coordinate with the juvenile justice system to provide support to students reentering school after being in detention and those under probation supervision, given that attending school is a common requirement for youth on probation. At the postsecondary level, students under incarceration or with certain types of criminal convictions can have limited eligibility for federal student aid and face other challenges (though as of the 2022–2023 award year, incarcerated students will no longer be ineligible for federal Pell Grants). Though some localities and states have banned employers from asking job applicants about their criminal history, the U.S. Department of Labor continues to track this information for program participants. We recommend collecting information on justice involvement only to identify individuals who need additional support from E-W systems—for example, during reentry into school, college, or the workforce. This information should not be used for exclusionary or discriminatory purposes, and every effort should be made to protect and respect individuals’ privacy.