It is important to note that almost all of the students incarcerated in these detention centers were Latinx and mostly Mexican or of Mexican descent. They ranged in ages from 11 to 19 and had low educational skills. Most had not attended school regularly in their community and had been incarcerated for non-violent offenses. Five to ten students had a learning exceptionality which is twice the amount in traditional school (Flores & Barahona-Lopez). Finally, almost all of the students in these settings were working class or working poor and lived in segregated neighborhoods in southern California. 2 Detention centers, juvenile detention, and secure detention are all euphemism for a what are popularly known as prisons or jails. We use these terms interchangeably throughout the paper.
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