The Division of Youth Corrections (DYC), part of the Colorado Department of Human Services, in partnership with the Colorado State Library, has recently launched multiple technology pilot projects in select juvenile correctional facilities statewide. These initiatives are proving that incarceration does not have to result in a reversal of access to information and acquisition of digital literacy skills. Camden Tadhg, youth institutional libraries consultant for the Colorado State Library, has been steadily rolling out a number of initiatives that are setting important benchmarks for service to incarcerated youth. There are currently five facilities using EBSCO databases in the classroom. Right now, only a few allow individual student use; in most cases, teachers are controlling the searching on the interactive whiteboard with the input of the whole class. According to Tadhg, “cautious first steps are a normal part of working in the correctional setting and I’m confident that individual student use will become the norm in the near future.” Two facilities are circulating Playaways to youth—one in the classroom and one on the living units. Since a few facilities allow youth to have MP3 players in their rooms, this was not as much of stretch, technology-wise, but it is an exciting opportunity for the struggling readers who can now pair a book with a listening device. Nook ereaders are now circulating in the living units of two facilities as part of Colorado’s Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support (PBIS) programming. Because only high achieving youth are allowed to check out ereaders, students at lower levels are motivated to improve their behavior. Youth want to reach the top level so they can also check out an ereader because they are loaded with more than 70 high-demand titles. The funding for the EBSCO databases and the ereaders was provided by the Division of Youth Corrections Education Department. The ebooks were purchased with LSTA funding. The Playaways were purchased with funds from the State of Colorado designed to support libraries and emerging literacy. It is only due to these interagency partnerships that these projects were implemented successfully. Later this year, Tadhg will be piloting a program called ROCKSTAR—Reinforcing Our Crucial Kinship Supports Through Active Reading (one of the more creative teens came up with the name!). Youth will apply and be approved for the program by their case managers and then will have the opportunity to select a children’s picture book, and create an audio recording of themselves reading the book aloud. The CD and book will be sent to their own child or sibling outside the system. The Colorado Department of Corrections has had a similar successful program for adults for many years. “Both youth and staff at facilities see the program as an exciting opportunity to support family engagement and treatment goals,” reports Tadhg. The Division of Youth Corrections Education Department has provided all the funding for this pilot. With only the equivalent of 2.5 FTE to run all ten facility libraries, Tadhg is stretched, but feels that with these initiatives in place, he may be able to convince administration that more staff time is needed to run 21^st century libraries. Also, these initiatives will provide documentation and evidence of positive outcomes that other juvenile correction facility libraries can use to support their own technology pilots. For more information regarding these programs, contact Camden Tadhg, Youth Institutions Consultant, Tadhg_c@cde.state.co.us.