Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants (OVSJG) Budget Oversight Hearing
Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety Ward 3 Councilmember Brooke Pinto, Chairperson
June 12, 2025
Testimony of Penelope Spain
Chief Executive Officer, Open City Advocates
Good morning, Councilmembers. My name is Penelope Spain. I am a resident of Ward 4 and for the past 20 years have served as the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Open City Advocates, which provides legal representation and holistic advocacy to youth who have been committed to the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, or DYRS. Today, I’m joined by two of our clients: Tyrone Hall and DeAngelo Covington.
I’d like to start today by expressing our gratitude to OVSJG for their steadfast support of Open City Advocates. In 2006, only one year after establishing our organization, OVSJG saw the importance of our mission and provided critical seed funding. At the time, Open City Advocates was still operating out of a closet, without heat or air conditioning, in a warehouse next to Marvin Gaye Park in Ward 7. Twenty years later, we have assisted over 165 court-involved youth and have significantly cut the rate of recidivism for our clients. Through impact litigation, we also successfully established the right to legal counsel for all youth throughout their commitment to DYRS.
The Mayor’s proposed budget contains significant cuts to the programs that help to fund our work. In particular, cuts to the Access to Justice program would be devastating at a time when the District is experiencing a quickly growing population of committed youth.
Because of the support of OVSJG, Open City Advocates has been able to grow and deepen our practice and take on new clients. We have hired two staff attorneys with the support of OVSJG, and cuts to Access to Justice would mean that we cannot continue to employ all of our attorneys to represent youth who are committed to DYRS. This would mean that some children committed to DYRS would go without the critical legal and holistic support that we provide.
Kids who are locked up need a lot of individualized support. They have questions about cell restrictions, how to access their school work, why they can’t see their mom, or why they can’t reach their trial attorney. A child might want to know why team meetings aren’t taking place, or why they have not yet been assigned a Care Coordinator, or why they’ve been refused their New Beginnings’ “level” advancement. A dedicated attorney like those we support at Open City Advocates can dig in, identify root causes, and begin to help address such issues.
When our clients are released, we strive to ensure their success in every aspect of their lives. We make sure that their needs are met, that they’re enrolling in school, or finding a job. Even when our clients’ commitments end, we continue to support them. Our model of holistic advocacy means there’s no break in our efforts to make sure they succeed.
Like other legal service providers, post-sentencing defense attorneys are an important part of the public safety landscape in the District. We are making sure everyone is safe: what we know from research—not just of our own data but nationwide—is that providing this holistic support really goes to the root of delinquency. By improving the lives of youth, we are helping to ensure that they don’t go back to criminal behavior and that they don’t become victims themselves. Our clients—who we meet in the deepest end of the juvenile system—are much more likely to exit out of the court system altogether than those who do not receive such holistic support. And for that, we express endless gratitude to the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants, as well as to YOU, Councilmember Pinto, for restoring the funds OVSJG passes along to the DC Bar Foundation’s Access to Justice.
Thank you. I am happy to answer any questions.
Testimony of DeAngelo Covington
Client, Open City Advocates
Good morning, Councilmembers. My name is DeAngelo Covington. I am a resident of Ward 8, where I grew up, and I am a client of Open City Advocates.
I first met Whitney and Penelope after joining their mentoring program at Oak Hill. I was paired with a mentor named Susan, and formed a connection with her that made a big difference to me. Whitney and Penelope took us on outings, and stayed in contact and provided support when I came home. I probably text or have a phone call with someone from Open City Advocates once a week, even eighteen years later.
They also gave me my first job, an internship in their office, and provided me a stipend. I filed receipts and wrote newsletters, and the work kept me busy and off the streets. Since then, Open City Advocates has used OVSJG funding to provide stipends to youth attending school or skills training, as well as other necessities like transportation or a phone. More recently, they helped me with assistance so that I could take courses in welding—paying me a stipend for my attendance and providing a laptop and internet hotspot.
While I’m currently working as an Amazon delivery driver in the mornings, I hope to return to welding training when I can find a job that doesn’t conflict with the courses.
I’m happy to answer any questions.
Testimony of Tyrone Hall
Client, Open City Advocates
Good morning, Councilmembers. My name is Tyrone Hall. I am a resident of Ward 2, and I am an Open City Advocates client. I met Penelope and Whitney at New Beginnings in 2010, and I’ve been a part of their program, and many others throughout DC, since then. I have worked with many organizations and programs throughout DC: the Pathways to Work program, Project Empowerment, the National Reentry Network for Returning Citizens, Safe Passages, and many others.
Back in 2010, Penelope and Whitney introduced me to my mentor, Alicia, who I still work with today. She ain’t going for sh—. She done check me and told me about myself. Our relationship flourished because she did that. My family didn’t wish my daughter a happy birthday the other day – but Whitney and Alicia did! So of course I’m gonna be rocking with Open City Advocates fifteen years later.
Penelope and Whitney’s mentorship has been a big part of my life. I talk with them about my family, work, and life in general. Open City Advocates paid for me to take web design and digital marketing classes, where I learned skills that I now use with clients regularly.
Right now, I’m working at Sycamore and Oak, on the grounds of the old St. Elizabeth’s hospital. It’s an amazing spot for all the kinds of things that I do: food, fitness, and retail. I love the work, managing the facility, and the bosses love me there. It’s a great space. I owe a lot of that to Open City Advocates: I wouldn’t be here without their mentorship and support.