WASHINGTON — The DC Council has secured funding to maintain independent oversight over the agency charged with the supervision, custody and care of young people facing criminal charges. The Council's move comes after months of allegations of fights, sexual assaults and the presence of drugs at the Department of Youth and Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) facilities.
The 2025 budget approved last week by the District Council provides funding to keep the Office of Independent Juvenile Justice Facilities Oversight Office running for an additional year.
According to the budget legislation, the independent entity under the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor, is in part charged with posting, "pertinent data regarding facilities on its standalone website, including population data and data regarding critical incidents and assaults."
Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, who oversees DYRS, said the collection of data and information is pivotal to improve the agency amid the recent safety concerns.
"It's been crisis after crisis at DYRS, both in the community and in both facilities," White said. "So we are closely monitoring that there is accountability and access to the youth, young adults and parents so we can get information to hold them accountable."
The Council's decision to maintain oversight over DYRS was celebrated by DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb.
In a social media post, Schawlb thanked the council for, "recognizing the urgency of improving outcomes for youth in DYRS custody and ensuring they don't reoffend."
In May, Schwalb introduced legislation, that would reform DYRS.
"Almost every single one of the kids committed to DYRS care gets arrested again. That is not acceptable," Schwalb told reporters during the news conference announcing the Recidivism Reduction, Oversight and Accountability for DYRS Act of 2024 — or ROAD Act.
Under his proposal, the agency would have to provide committed youth with a treatment plan within 30 days. Schwalb said the agency tasked with detaining and rehabilitating youth charged with certain crimes is not following through with their job. Under D.C. law, DYRS is required to provide committed youth with a complete treatment plan within 90 days, but the attorney general says the agency is failing to do that.
The ROAD Act also strengthens the court's authority to step in and intervene when it becomes clear that DYRS is not providing appropriate services and placement for youth in its care.
The legislation also mandates permanent independent oversight of DYRS. Schwalb says this will increase accountability and transparency.
Mayor Muriel Bowser opposes reforming DYRS, an agency under her purview.
"DYRS is a fantastic agency and we need to focus on making sure that they have the people that they need, and if the young people need to be in secure detention, are actually in secure detention," Bowser told WUSA9 in May.
Councilmember White said he is working with Schwalb to come up with long-term solutions for DYRS.
As of this week, DYRS has 158 young people under their supervision, 141 of them are boys according to the latest numbers provided by DC government.