SP_Attachment-2_PbS Sole Source Justification 2022.pdf

Sole Source Contract Justification | Copyright © 2022 PbS Learning Institute

Sole Source Contract Justification

Performance-based Standards (PbS) was launched by the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) specifically to address safety, health and quality of life issues in youth facilities identified as problematic in the 1994 Conditions of Confinement Study. To address the issues, PbS established national standards for the highest quality facility operations, services and youths’ daily experiences. PbS trains and supports participants to collect qualitative data – surveys of youths, staff and families – and quantitative administrative record and incident data and uses the information to implement reforms.

PbS is a national data-driven improvement model grounded in research that holds juvenile residential facilities to the highest standards of operations, programs and services. PbS sets national standards that establish the highest expectations in eight areas of facility management: safety, security, order, health/mental health, programming, family, reintegration and justice. PbS collects both quantitative and qualitative data from administrative forms, youth records, incident reports, reentry surveys of youths and climate surveys of youths, staff and families. PbS trains and supports participants to collect data, analyze the results and change practices. PbS data undergoes a rigorous data quality assurance process and has established its reliability and validity over 25 years. The data indicates how well facilities meet PbS’ standards and commitment to treating all youths in custody as one of our own.

PbS is unique among the standards and accreditation efforts in its surveys of youths, staff and families twice a year and reports summarizing the responses available within two weeks after the end of the data collection period. Unlike other standards efforts, PbS focuses on using the information collected to promote best practices and on continually measuring facilities’ safety, quality of life and services. In 2004, PbS won the Innovations in American Government Award for uniquely and effectively addressing conditions of confinement. PbS surveys youths, staff and families every April and October about conditions, safety, services, staff-youth relationships, contact with family, contact with lawyers and reentry preparedness. PbS' copyrighted surveys can be administered by in-person interviewing or through PbS’ customized touch-screen kiosks. The custom-configured kiosk software is licensed to run exclusively on PbS-distributed hardware. The software is maintained and updated by PbS' development team and technical assistance is available to participants through the PbS Help Desk.

About 150 residential programs in 32 states currently participate in PbS, adhering to PbS’ data quality requirements and sharing PbS’ commitment. PbS believes that youths deserve to be treated as individuals with strengths and needs, within the context of their families and communities. PbS is committed to treating all youths as one of our own as the best approach to rehabilitation. PbS provides national standards, outcome measures, a quality assurance process, training and technical assistance to all facilities and leaders to help implement research-based and best practices. For more information, please visit: pbstandards.org

Declaration: Performance-based Standards is a national data-driven improvement model grounded in research that holds juvenile residential facilities to the highest standards of operations, programs and services.

There are no other organizations currently that are capable of working with this agency to provide a continuous data-driven improvement model for its facilities and programs.

Executive Director http://www.pbstandards.org/