Many schools and districts include character education in their curriculum, the content of which is decided on a local level. These programs flow through multiple grade levels and are often part of career planning. However, it is unknown if youth in juvenile residential placement facilities, who could benefit from these programs, are offered character education. Character education has been not only a focus of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, but also a part of the Pennsylvania standards for career education and work. Reading standards include discussing and analyzing literature as well as speaking, listening, and writing about the chosen selection. Research suggests the effectiveness of embedding character education, as well as the use of novels and stories to incorporate character education into the reading curriculum. There is evidence that suggested coalescing character education into the reading curriculum in a prison setting is beneficial. This study explored teachers' perceptions regarding the implementation of character education including the use of novels and stories in their reading classes as a source of character education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]