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This year the PbS Education and Employment Foundation awarded 12 Reentry Awards to young people from Idaho, Nevada, Montana and West Virginia who are returning to their families, group homes or living independently before the holidays. Their application essays show their big hearts, high hopes and challenges to paying for basic necessities. Most needed clothes that fit and are appropriate for job interviews, shoes and a phone card as well as supplies as they return to high school or started college.

Agencies participating in the Performance-based Standards (PbS) standards and continuous improvement program survey their families and use the responses to adapt their practices to improve relationships and outcomes for young people and their families. In this PbS Data Snapshot, we share recent Family Survey responses from the field.

You could have heard a pin drop at the 2023 PbS Awards Night Gala as Abd’Allah Lateef, Deputy Director of the Campaign for Fair Sentencing of Youth, began to speak. He was one of three formerly life-sentenced children sharing their visions and stories as part of a panel discussion entitled: “Imagining a More Humane, Fairer and Effective Juvenile Justice System” moderated by Marsha Levick, Chief Legal Officer for the Juvenile Law Center. In the room were about 100 juvenile justice professionals who work in detention and correction facilities, community residential programs and probation services across the country.

Recruiting new staff to work for juvenile justice agencies has become a bit easier over the past year, according to about 70 professionals who gathered recently for the Performance-based Standards (PbS) Learning Institute’s 2023 Agency Coordinators Training. But attracting the right staff and keeping them remains a challenge. This brief shares tips from the PbS Agency Coordinators and shares Staff Climate Survey results from the April 2023 data collection.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is pleased to announce IYC Pere Marquette as the winner of the 2020 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award for Correction Facilities.

Fundamental fairness is at the heart of a just society and essential to healthy adolescent development. Young people need to feel they are treated fairly, respected and their voices matter. They also need to see the justice system as fair. But one look at the overwhelming disproportionate number of young people of color who are sent to secure juvenile facilities challenge any sense of fairness.

The stage was set, with the music video playing behind them and anticipation filling the air as the 2023 Performance-based Standards (PbS) Awards Night Gala attendees eagerly awaited the performance of the winners of the 2023 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest. Gary R. and Mee'Cour R. took the stage and began. Their poignant and heartfelt original rap song entitled” Another Chance” left the audience inspired and moved

Among the impressive entries, one stood out for its poignant message and emotional depth - a spoken word poem by Shanteyja L. from the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex. Shanteyja L. chose spoken word poetry as her medium. Through carefully crafted verses and heartfelt delivery, she bared her soul, allowing listeners to glimpse into her past, her regrets, and her aspirations. Her poem not only conveyed her personal journey but also touched upon universal themes that resonate with people from all walks of life.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is pleased to announce Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center as the winner of the 2020 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award for Detention Facilities.

"Heartbroken" is more than just a rap music video, through their heartfelt lyrics, Julius S. and Elija K. share their personal stories that brought them to where they were, but what sets this rap video apart is its ability to communicate that pain isn't the end of the story. The driving force behind "Heartbroken" is the desire for redemption and the courage to face the past head-on. Julius S. and Elija K. use their lyrics to acknowledge mistakes and refuse to be defined by them. Instead, they choose to focus on the present moment and the possibilities of a brighter future.