The Juvenile Court Judges' Commission and the Pennsylvania Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers are pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 2026 JCJC Professional Awards Program!
Who Can Submit Professional Award Nominations?
Professional Award nominations may be submitted by anyone (including but not limited to Juvenile Probation Officers, Service Providers, Juvenile Court Judges, Volunteers, etc.), provided the nomination form includes required signatures.
What Are the Benefits of Nominating?
- Recipients receive recognition of their accomplishments at the James E. Anderson Pennsylvania Conference on Juvenile Justice.
- Recognition inspires stakeholders, improves system performance, and enhances services provided.
- Recognition fosters positive work environments and productivity.
- Recognition improves the well-being and mental health of stakeholders.
The following 2026 Professional Awards are now being accepted:
Chief Juvenile Probation Officer of the Year – an individual who supervises a juvenile probation department within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as of the date of the nomination email submission. Award winners prior to 2019 are eligible for nomination.
Juvenile Probation Supervisor of the Year – an individual who supervises Juvenile Probation Officers, but who is not a Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, as of the date of the nomination email submission. This category includes Deputy Chiefs, Assistant Directors, Supervisors, Coordinators, and other positions functioning in a similar capacity that supervise Juvenile Probation Officers. Award winners prior to 2019 are eligible for nomination.
Juvenile Probation Officer of the Year – an individual who is employed as a Juvenile Probation Officer, but who is not a Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, Deputy Chief, or Juvenile Probation Supervisor as of the date of the nomination email submission.
Community-Based Program of the Year – any public or private sector program, not operated by the court, which provides community-based, non-residential services to alleged and/or adjudicated delinquent youth, including, but not limited to, day treatment programs, in-home services, out-patient services, Boys and Girls Clubs, education services, youth aid panels, youth commissions, anti-violence programs, school-based programs, diversionary programs, mentoring programs, or similar programming. Award winners prior to 2021 are eligible for nomination.
Court-Operated Program of the Year – any program operated by court employees which serves alleged and/or adjudicated delinquent youth. Award winners prior to 2021 are eligible for nomination.
Residential Program of the Year – any public or private sector program serving alleged and/or adjudicated delinquent youth in a residential setting. This includes foster homes, group homes, residential treatment programs, general childcare facilities, shelter care facilities, detention centers, independent living programs, and other programs providing out-of-home, overnight care to children. Award winners prior to 2021 are eligible for nomination.
Outstanding Service Award – an individual that goes above and beyond their professional role requirements and is committed to furthering the development of at-risk, alleged, and/or delinquent youth. This person advances the mission of the juvenile justice system through volunteer work with programming which may include, but is not limited to, youth aid panels, youth commissions, anti-violence, school-based, diversion, mentoring/coaching, faith-based, community centers, scouts, or other youth programming.
Juvenile Court Support Service Award – Individuals eligible to receive this award include those persons who provide clerical, secretarial, fiscal specialist, management, information technology, quality assurance, or other support services to the juvenile court. This includes receptionists, secretaries, clerk/typists, information technology specialists, quality assurance specialists, office managers, and others functioning in a similar support capacity. (This individual does not need to be in a position that is entirely dedicated to the juvenile court system, but it should be a significant part of their position.)
Victim Advocate of the Year – an individual who works on behalf of crime victims in a district attorney’s office, juvenile probation department, or in a community-based agency (This individual does not need to be in a position that is entirely dedicated to victims of juvenile crime, but it should be a significant part of their position).
PLEASE NOTE: Submissions that were not selected as previous winners may be resubmitted for reconsideration in the same category.
All Professional Award Nomination Forms are due by Monday, June 1, 2026.
For awards questions, please contact Angel R. Stewart at angstewart@pa.gov or Stephanie Black at stepblack@pa.gov.
