Transcript Slide 1

Reforming the
Juvenile Justice System in
the Nation’s Capital
Presentation by
David Muhammad
Chief of Committed Services Administration
DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services
July 31, 2009
Background to the reforms
• 1988
Jerry M Lawsuit: brought against the District of Columbia for its inhumane
treatment of youth in its juvenile justice system. The District settles the
lawsuit, entering into a Consent Decree.
 DC spends many of next 16 years failing to live up to the conditions
of the Consent Decree and being threatened with receivership.
• 2003
Blue Ribbon Commission on Juvenile Justice: Chaired by the Presiding
Judge of the Juvenile Court, Judge Hamilton, the Commission recommends
to the DC City Council to close Oak Hill, the city’s dilapidated juvenile
facility, adopt the Missouri Model in the facility that replaces Oak Hill, and
develop a robust continuum of care of community services.
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Background to the reforms
•2003
In re P.S Superior Court Decision: Gives the Executive full authority over
placement decisions regarding youth committed to the city’s juvenile justice
agency.
•2004
City Council Passes Legislation creating the Department of Youth
Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) – and doing away with the old Youth Services
Administration)
•January 2005
New Administration brought in to implement the reform of the city’s
juvenile justice system.
 Vincent Schiraldi named first Director of DYRS
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Reforms at a Glance
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Institutional Reform
• Transformed our old jail-like corrections facility with no
structured program
• Implemented the Missouri Model – rehabilitative treatment,
Guided Group Interaction
• Intensive staff training in new DC Model
• Smaller living units – Larger staff to youth ratio
• In May 2009, closed old decrypt facility and opened new
state of the art facility – New Beginnings Youth Development
Center
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Institutional Reform
• Oak Hill population reduced from 240 in 2004
to 80 in 2008
• New Beginnings population reduced from 80 to 60
• Oak Hill Academy now Maya Angelou Academy
 See Forever Foundation
 Extended school day
 Five vocational programs
 Transitional school in the community
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Oak Hill Youth Center
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New Beginnings Youth Development Center
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Case Planning & Case Management
• Decreased case loads
• Increased resources for Case Managers
• Structured Decision Making Process
 Develop and resource case plans for youth
 Validated risk assessment
 Mental health assessment
 Detailed placement grid
 Family group conferencing model
 Individual Development Plan
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Case Planning & Case Management
• Youth Family Team Meeting (YFTM)
 Applied to every youth under DYRS care
 YFTM convened with youth, family members,
staff and community stakeholders who know the
youth
 Discuss youth’s strengths, needs, and action
steps to build on the strengths and serve the needs
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Community Continuum of Care
• DYRS developed a more robust continuum of care to
provide an array of effective services, programs,
opportunities, and supports for youth in the juvenile justice
system
• Restructuring its provision of community services into an
innovative Regional Service Coalition model
• In 2009, DYRS will replace its many current, disjointed
contracts into a more closely coordinated system where
youth receive more and better services in the communities
they live
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Positive Youth Development
• Overriding principle that guides all of DYRS’
reforms
• A strengths-based approach to serving youth
• Works to build on young people’s assets, while
also protecting the public’s safety
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Football
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White Water Rafting
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Triathlon
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Shakespeare
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UN Convention at Georgetown Law
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Guns to Roses
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Building a Shed
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Principals of the reform
• Rehabilitation & Treatment arte far more effective and in the
long run much less costly than punishment and incarceration.
• Youth who have exhibited delinquent behavior respond better
and benefit more from Positive Youth Development (building on
their strengths and assets) than from a punitive, deficit based
system
• Incarceration is inherently harmful – when a youth is locked up,
it has a negative affect upon him or her. Therefore, we should only
incarcerate youth who are a legitimate risk to the public’s safety.
There are thousands of youth locked up around the country
due to bureaucratic convenience, not because they need to be.
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Principals of the reform
•The Big 5 Challenges or Needs of youth in the juvenile
justice system:
 Family Support (including Housing)
 School/Education Support
 Employment Readiness/Job Placement
 Drug Treatment
 Mental Health Services
•Part of what makes each of these 5 services effective and
probably the greatest need of all youth:
A Healthy Relationship with a Positive Adult
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