The Center for Improving Youth Justice (CIYJ) gathered on the water at the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor for our 2026 Annual Awards Night Gala — an evening dedicated to the young people, agencies, and partners who make our work possible.
The Barbara Allen-Hagen Award honors Barbara Allen-Hagen’s legacy at OJJDP and her guiding principle: to treat every young person as one of our own. Congratulations to our 2026 Barbara Allen-Hagen Award winners – these agencies represent the very best of what our field can achieve:
- Hamilton County Juvenile Court Youth Center (Cincinnati, OH) — recognized in the Detention category for a Facility Improvement Plan that used data and de-escalation training, a sensory room, and expanded programming to reduce room confinement.
- Bridgeport REGIONS (Bridgeport, CT) — honored for a Facility Improvement Plan built on teamwork, data, and continuous improvement in action.
Congratulations to the inaugural graduating class of our National Leadership Cohort, the next generation of leaders in this field. We are so proud of everything you’ve built this year.
A huge congratulations to our 2026 Kids Got Talent winners: Solo Winner: Ferris School (Delaware) & Group Winner: Ferris School (Delaware).
Thank you to our national partners across the country whose partnership and trust make PbS, mentoring, education, and employment work possible.
Thank you to our incredible CIYJ staff, PbS coaches, and Board of Directors, whose dedication carries this mission forward every single day and to every partner and agency in the room with us.
Special thanks to our sponsors, Haley House, Eastern Bank, for their generous and continued support of this work and the young people at the center of it.
Here’s to another year of building better systems, stronger partnerships, and real opportunities for justice-involved young people. Click through for photos from the night!
