Celebrating 25 Years of Girl Scouts Beyond Bars

Girl Scouts Beyond Bars

Serving Youth and Justice-Involved Loved Ones since December 1999

Girl Scouts of Western Washington’s Beyond Bars program serves youth, ages 5–17, who have a justice-involved family member engaged with a Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) facility or who are under DOC community supervision.

The program aims to empower and engage youth in opportunities that promote self-exploration, leadership, and a broader understanding of how they can change your world.

Justice-involved family members build leadership skills as troop leaders who can have a positive influence on the youth in their lives.

This life-changing program is made possible through Washington DOC and the generous support of donors. Make a gift today.

The Impacts of Incarceration on Children toggle arrow

“Nationally, the number of kids who have had a parent in jail or prison at some point in their childhood hovers around 5.1 million—a conservative estimate. Kids with incarcerated parents are significantly less likely to live in neighborhoods that are able to be supportive of families.”

—The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Between 1980 and 2019, the number of incarcerated women increased by more than 700%, rising from a total of 26,378 in 1980 to 222,455 in 2019.

—The Sentencing Project

How Does Girl Scouts of Western Washington Serve Our Participants? toggle arrow

The Girl Scouts Beyond Bars program uses a trauma-informed perspective to maintain a safe space for participants to build skills, practice leadership, and strengthen relationships.

Restorative justice is foundational to the Girl Scouts Beyond Bars program, as it supports accountability and healing for our participants and families.

The Girl Scouts Beyond Bars program supports the justice-involved loved ones’ reentry into society through skill-building opportunities that show they are prepared for life's obstacles once released.

Girl Scouts Beyond Bars helps provide youth participants and justice-involved loved ones with a framework of what their futures can look like, as many participants experience a lack of future orientation—meaning it's difficult for them to envision a future for themselves.

What Do Youth in the Girl Scouts Beyond Bars Program Do? toggle arrow

Girl Scouts Beyond Bars not only helps youth participants maintain and grow relationships with justice-involved loved ones but also delivers the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. You’ll experience all the fun of Girl Scouting alongside peers you can relate to.

In this program, you’ll:

Grow and maintain healthy relationships with your justice involved loved ones

See justice involved loved ones in positions of leadership

Bond in a supportive space with other youth who have faced similar challenges

Talk openly about your loved one’s incarceration and receive supportive adult mentorship

Recognize your own self-worth and find your identity outside of the personal challenges you face

Have fun! You’ll enjoy all the skill-building and memory-making of the Girl Scout experience

Additional programming opportunities include:

Attending Girl Scout summer camp at no cost

Attending troop outings throughout the year with financial support from the Girl Scouts Beyond Bars program

Working on badges, patches, and Journeys with your justice involved loved one at the facility, virtually, or alongside other participants

During cookie season each spring, learning business skills like perfecting a sales pitch and managing money

What Does a Girl Scouts Beyond Bars Troop Look Like? toggle arrow

Girl Scouts Beyond Bars offers a tailored Girl Scout program that provides a safe environment to connect with peers who share similar experiences. The GSBB program supports the familial bond through facility troop meetings and peer connections through community troop meeting.

Girl Scouts Beyond Bars staff work with the justice-involved family members to develop leadership skills as they are the troop leaders for the facility troop meetings. In the youth-only community troop meetings, youth come together to work through the GSBB program. Once a year, youth are offered an extended day at the facility with their justice-involved family member.

Our program is growing to include more correctional facilities.

Does Girl Scouts Beyond Bars Cost Money? toggle arrow

The Girl Scouts Beyond Bars program is fully supported by a contract with the Washington Department of Corrections and generous donors. There is no cost to youth participating in the program, including their participation in troop activities, camp, and more!

Marie Lamfrom Grit Award

The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation donated $26,000 to Girl Scouts of Western Washington in honor of volunteer Alison Woods.