What the coalition is filing, signing, and testifying on.
The latest from the Youth Justice Project: coalition letters, joint comments, testimony, and the policy fights moving through the District right now.
Coalition members testify against DYRS's proposed community placement rules
At a Committee on Youth Affairs roundtable, Open City Advocates, the Council for Court Excellence, and the District of Columbia Juvenile Bar Association urged the Council to press DYRS to rework its fifth Chapter 12 rulemaking, which replaces the three-member hearing panel with a single hearing officer, cuts the time to appeal to three business days, and lets the Director impose a harsher outcome on appeal.
Advocates object to DYRS's proposed Community Status Review Hearing regulations
In a joint comment letter with a member-drafted redline attached, ten organizations and allied advocates urge DYRS to defer its proposed CSRH rules, which strip notice, neutral decision-making, and appeal protections from committed youth.
Coalition urges full funding for the Credible Messenger Initiative
In a letter to the DC Council, the coalition calls for fully funding the community-based mentorship program that connects young people with messengers who have shared their experiences.
Coalition proposes a Deputy DYRS Ombudsperson
A joint memo with Children's Law Center urges the Office of the Ombudsperson for Children to create dedicated oversight capacity for young people committed to DYRS.
Coalition calls to restore independent oversight of DYRS facilities
A sign-on letter urges the DC Council to restore funding for the Deputy Auditor for Juvenile Facilities Oversight, the District's independent check on conditions inside its youth facilities.
This is the start of the coalition's public news feed. As members file new letters, comments, and testimony, they will appear here and in Policy & Research.