This document shares information based on survey responses of more than 6,000 youth who left participating detention centers and correctional facilities in from April 2020 to October 2021, to determine the impact of efforts to move youth out of residential care.
This Data Snapshot is part of an effort to set standards for juvenile justice agencies with the goal of ensuring that all youth feel seen, heard, and valued, as well as being screened for immediate physical and mental health and educational needs. This document presents survey results from the Performance-based Standards (PbS) Reentry Survey, which was based on reentry and adolescent development research as well as the PbS Reentry Measurement Standards project, and identifies basic necessities, skills, resources, supports, connections, and attitudes that are most likely to help youth develop into successful citizens after release from residential care or correction facilities. The document discusses survey responses including where youth went after leaving facilities; what they had with them, such as identification, birth certificate, medical records, and prescriptions; and what the youth were thinking and feeling as they were released, noting a decrease in feelings of readiness and optimism about the future. The document suggests some potential actions to help youth increase their likelihood of success and perceptions of life after reentry, noting advances in juvenile justice to integrate positive youth development research into daily practices.