Blog

On March 24, 2022, Performance-based Standards (PbS) hosted a webinar featuring a panel of data analysts discussing their experiences, what data lets them know reentry is successful, what information is critical, and more. This panel was moderated by Kim Godfrey Lovett, Executive Director of PbS, and Melissa Sickmund, Director of the National Center for Juvenile Justice.

The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus and its variants continues to dominate public discussions and exacerbate already difficult situations in neighborhoods, schools, places of work and of worship and in homes and institutions. Because of the nature of the virus and the reality of asymptomatic infections, it is impossible to know the exact number of positive cases that occur within these various contexts. Widespread testing, however, has proven to be the most useful tool for shedding light on the prevalence of the virus and the effectiveness of interventions.

On February 24, 2022, Performance-based Standards (PbS) hosted a webinar featuring a panel of probation officers discussing their experiences, what reentry success looks like, what information they found most useful to determine placements, and more. This panel was moderated by Kim Godfrey Lovett, Executive Director of PbS, and Melissa Sickmund, Director of the National Center ...

Five research projects were awarded grants to examine the impacts of race and ethnicity, staff-youth relationships, Covid-19 and education barriers in juvenile justice facilities.

On January 27, 2022, Performance-based Standards (PbS) hosted a webinar featuring a panel of judges discussing their experiences, what reentry success looks like, what information they find most useful to determine placements, and more. This panel was moderated by Kim Godfrey Lovett, Executive Director of PbS, and Melissa Sickmund, Director of the National Center for Juvenile J ...

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is now collecting applications for the 2022 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award. We hope you take the opportunity to share and celebrate the improvements and achievements of your facility by submitting an application.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is pleased to announce that the 8th annual Kids Got Talent Contest is now open! This contest is such a joy for our team and every year, we are impressed with not only the talented youths but the staff that support their creative abilities. We always enjoy hearing about programs holding their own talent contests as incentives for young people or ...

Russ believed in change – the ability for failing systems to transform and evolve, the power of leadership to make a difference and especially in the strength of disadvantaged young people to turn their lives around. In 2011, after decades of public service in Kansas as deputy sheriff, director of the Southwest Kansas Regional Detention Center, district magistrate judge and com ...

Meet Stephen, former recipient of the PbS Education and Employment Foundation Scholarship and Employment Matching Awards. He describes the PbS Scholarship as a "bridge," one that allowed him to become the first young person in the Oregon Youth Authority to pursue his master's degree: "I definitely think the scholarships are that first catalyst. The first step in my success was ...

Unlike many juvenile justice professionals, my role as Program Assistant at the Performance-based Standards Learning Institute (PbS) has very little direct interaction with the young people entangled in the system. Compared to the folks with the privilege of developing personal and meaningful relationships with the youths whom we serve, I am probably more detached from the huma ...