UNDERREPRESENTATION OF DISADVANTAGED YOUTH IN GIFTED PROGRAMS AND OVERREPRESENTATION IN PRISONSUNDERREPRESENTATION OF DISADVANTAGED YOUTH IN GIFTED PROGRAMS AND OVERREPRESENTATION IN PRISONS

Abstract

The United States of America has the highest incarceration rate in the world.
The probability of an individual being incarcerated is a complex combination of
factors, including socio-economic status, level of education, and ethnicity. Within
prison populations, the percentage of individuals identified as gifted is higher than
those identified within the general population. A lack of support for gifted individuals
in their academic careers, both in the school system and in extracurricular
opportunities, leads to a correlation in the higher number of gifted individuals in
prison. When opportunities and supports are limited or non-existent, the potential for
risk taking and incarceration is increased. Once an individual is incarcerated, there
are a few programs to support general education needs; although, very few programs
support the needs of gifted individuals. Using contemporary research on
disadvantaged gifted students and gifted rates among prison populations, this paper
provide an overview of these concerns and a call for s future investigations into the
link between an increased rate of servicing gifted students’ needs and a possible
reduced incarceration rate.