J.C. Montgomery School was established in 1964, through the cooperative efforts of the Kings County Board of Education and the Kings County Probation Department. The stated mission was to provide a structured educational opportunity for those students who have been sentenced to juvenile hall. Students may earn school units (credits) toward graduation at the same rate as those in a traditional school setting. Students may be promoted from eighth grade to high school or graduate from high school. For junior and senior students detained after January 1, 2017, “AB 2306” applies and a student may graduate with the state minimum requirements of 130 core credits. Currently, J.C. Montgomery School serves a daily maximum of 65 students. As reported, they served 143 students in 2017-2018. During the 2016-2017 school year, 155 students were served, and 153 during 2015-2016. They have served an average of 150 students in the last three years.

Students are at various academic levels. Many students have been unsuccessful in their traditional schools and function below grade level. The Kings County Office of Education provides nurses, speech and language therapists, special education staff, and psychological services. It is the goal of the JCM staff and the Probation Department to educate and rehabilitate students to become productive citizens. Currently, this program educates students in three unique instructional settings. For security reasons, the Probation Department desires to keep each Unit separated from one another.

This unit houses youth who are going through the court process as adults, or youth transferred from the medium security unit that pose disciplinary issues or safety and security issues. This unit also houses those youth who would have previously been committed to the Division of Juvenile Justice following the passage of Senate Bill 823 (Juvenile Justice realignment of 2021). The youth housed due to SB 823 may be up to age 25. The maximum-security unit has 11 rooms that house two youths each and two rooms that are single-occupant cells. The maximum-security unit can house up to 24 youths. Youths are out of their rooms for class time, recreation time, dining, and showers under the supervision of a Juvenile Corrections Officer. The average duration of stay ranges from one day to two years. The multipurpose room serves as a classroom.

The population in this unit is comprised of court-committed male students that are serving commitments ranging from ~30 to 180 days. This is a very restrictive unit. Juvenile Corrections Officers supervise students while attending classes and students have access to a multipurpose day room.

This setting is typically for students who are being detained by the courts. All male youth housed are detained following juvenile court proceedings. The female unit houses detained and court committed female youths. These are also restrictive units.. A Juvenile Corrections Officer accompanies and monitors these students to the classroom and in their multipurpose day rooms.