Month: May 2025
“Breaking Through”: How One Facility Helps Youth from Rival Gangs Mediate Conflict
At Eastern Oregon Youth Correctional Facility, staff have found ways to help youth from rival gangs live together in relative peace. The approach doesn’t erase gang identity or promise long-term change. Instead, it creates a space for short-term stability – and the possibility that short-term success will grow into more. Mediation at Eastern is voluntary, ...
OYA Celebrates AANHPI Month
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. The theme for 2025 is “A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience,” honoring the hard work of AANHPI leaders who established a foundation for future generations to thrive and adapt to change and adversity. This month is a time to advocate for, celebrate with, and ...
Honoring Our 2025 Public Service Ambassadors
Every year during Public Service Recognition Week, the State of Oregon honors a select group of employees as “Ambassadors of Public Service.” These individuals reflect the best of what it means to serve: creativity, compassion, resilience, and a belief that public institutions can – and should – work for everyone. This year, four recipients from ...
“You’re part of their family”: How OYA Foster Homes Change Lives
May is National Foster Care Month, and at the Oregon Youth Authority, foster care is far more than a place to stay. Throughout Oregon, foster families create safe, loving, supportive homes where youth continue their reformation work and move closer to independent living or family reunification. These youth are on probation or parole, possibly reentering ...