PbS measures and monitors facility practices by collecting and reporting data from administrative records and survey responses from youths, staff and families to provide a holistic picture of the conditions and quality of life in residential facilities, highlights the practices that are effective in promoting youths’ healthy maturation and identifies those that are not. PbS data is reported every April and October. PbS trains staff to use the information to change practices and support reforms implementing the adolescent development approach.
Research Report: PbS Data for Correction and Detention Facilities, 2004-2010
The following report from New Amsterdam Consulting, Inc. summarizes research conducted on behalf of the PbS Learning Institute on the conditions of confinement for juvenile detention facilities, correctional facilities, and assessment centers across the U.S. Using data from facilities that have participated in the Performance-based Standards for Youth Correction and Detention Facilities (PbS) project since 2004, the research uses statistical analyses to examine how characteristics of facilities and individuals within them relate to a series of safety, order, and security outcome measures, as well as to the likelihood that youth are victimized while incarcerated and to the likelihood of suicide attempts within facilities. Data come from a variety of sources, each of which is part of the PbS data collection initiative, including: detailed information about every unusual incident that occurred during that month; information from the records of juveniles released during those periods; and surveys of current residents (youth climate surveys), staff (staff climate surveys) and residents released since the last data collection (youth exit interviews).
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