Juvenile Center Offers Pathway to Higher Education for Teens
At the Durango Juvenile Center in south Phoenix, a unique educational initiative is sparking a newfound interest in academic achievement among its young inhabitants. With the opportunity to transition seamlessly into Arizona State University (ASU) courses, many detained teens are now setting their sights on earning a high school diploma and beyond.
Identified only by their initials, several students have shared their aspirations and progress. S, a 17-year-old, has been active in the stock market since age 13 and is currently pursuing a business administration course, nearing 40 credits. “Maybe (I’ll be) the top of Goldman Sachs or something. Being a CEO. Telling everybody else what to do. Not everybody telling me what to do,” he expressed with ambition.
Another student, E, aged 16, is finding clarity and direction through a psychology course and is now focused on leadership studies. “I hope to major in forensic science, but the goal is to turn my life around,” E stated. Access to music streaming services like Spotify provides E and his peers a sense of normalcy and motivation. “(I) listen to some jammers,” he said.
A, a 15-year-old, finds solace in mathematics while listening to Reggaeton and Bachata, which he says helps him concentrate better in school. “Because I get to calm down. Especially with music. It helps relax me a lot. And it helps with me focusing a lot and more in school,” he noted.
Mark Eastin, the community and culture manager at the facility, highlights the transformative impact of the educational program. He notes that before its inception in 2024, few detainees completed high school. Now, many are motivated to earn their diplomas. “I think at times this population is forgotten for their crimes in a sense. But, us able to inject hope into these kids, and inject that you are worth something, and that you are able to accomplish something — I think we do a great job of that,” Eastin explained.
The initiative has enabled dozens of young people in the detention facility to earn hundreds of ASU credits through online courses, offering them a promising start towards a brighter future.
