Restorative Justice: Introducing Juvenile Hall Students to Computer Science

Computer Science is an increasingly important field in regards to (in)equity in the United States and our world. Equal access to adequate Computer Science education is an issue in schools. Incarcerated youth in Juvenile Halls are often unable to obtain classes / resources that would foster interest in the field of engineering. This paper presents findings from a revitalized and revamped computer science course that was originally taught in San Luis Obispo’s Juvenile Hall in 2019 [7]. This iteration of the project introduces modified curriculum and different tools for learning the art of programming that was not included in the 2019 class. By adding more structured curriculum such as a scaffolding of base code and worksheets to work on key concepts, this course is more digestible for the Juvenile Hall students and is more repeatable for future Cal Poly students. The data collected shows an increase in students’ efficacy in programming from the beginning of the course compared to the end of the course