Youth Justice Project
A DC Youth Justice Coalition
Policy & Research

A youth justice system that answers to DC.

This is where the coalition publishes its shared positions on DC youth justice policy, alongside significant member-led litigation and the work behind it. Read, cite, and share any of it.

How to read this

What "shared position" means.

A shared position is a stance the coalition has reached consensus on, meaning every member organization either supports it or stands aside without blocking. Shared positions reflect what the coalition can agree to as a group at a given moment.

Listing as a member of the coalition does not mean every member endorses every shared position, and the coalition does not bind members on issues outside the shared position itself. When member organizations want to act in their own names, they do.

Topics in this archive DYRS oversight Budget Legislation Education in custody Public safety Behavioral health
Testimony, letters, statements, reports, and significant litigation from Open City Advocates and coalition members, 2009–2026.
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202613 items
Jul 2026
IRAA/Second Look and the YRA: What Are They?
Free Minds
ResourceLegislation
Read
Jul 1, 2026
Joint comment on the DYRS Community Status Review Hearings rulemaking
Public Defender Service, Open City Advocates, ACLU-DC & 7 other organizations
Joint commentDYRS oversight
Read
Jul 1, 2026
Member-drafted redline — DCMR Ch. 12 Community Placement Process (5th NOPR)
Attachment to the joint comment
RedlineDYRS oversight
Read
May 12, 2026
Budget Oversight Hearing — Office of the Ombudsperson for Children
Joshua Miller · Open City Advocates
TestimonyBudgetOversight
Read
May 7, 2026
DYRS Budget Oversight
Penelope Spain & Joshua Miller · Open City Advocates
TestimonyBudgetDYRS oversight
Read
May 6, 2026
Access to Justice (ATJ)
Penelope Spain, Joshua Miller & Kenneth Brewster · Open City Advocates
TestimonyBudgetRight to counsel
Read
May 6, 2026
B26-0526, the LEARNS Act
Joshua Miller · Open City Advocates
TestimonyLegislationEducation in custody
Read
Apr 2026
2026 DC Public Safety Policy Agenda for DC's Next Mayor and Council
DC Justice Lab
ReportPublic safety
Read
Mar 17, 2026
J.D. v. District of Columbia — ruling on the District's partial motion to dismiss
Washington Lawyers' Committee · Counsel for plaintiff
Court decisionDYRS oversightConditions of confinementUse of force
Read
FY27
FY27 Budget Testimony — Corrections Information Council
Council for Court Excellence
TestimonyBudget
Read
Feb 2, 2026
DYRS Performance Oversight
Penelope Spain & Joshua Miller · Open City Advocates
TestimonyDYRS oversight
Read
Feb 2, 2026
The Second Look Law: A Safer, Stronger DC
Free Minds
ReportLegislation
Read
Jan 28, 2026
CFSA / Office of the Ombudsperson for Children
Joshua Miller · Open City Advocates
TestimonyOversightCrossover youth
Read
202513 items
Nov 13, 2025
Strengthening Capacity and Transparency at DYRS Amendment Act of 2025
Joshua Miller · Open City Advocates
TestimonyLegislationDYRS oversight
Read
Nov 2025
Committed Youth Awaiting Placement in the DC Youth Services Center
Council for Court Excellence
ReportDYRS oversight
Read
Nov 10, 2025
Promoting Parental Engagement at DYRS Amendment Act of 2025
Penelope Spain · Open City Advocates
TestimonyLegislationFamily
Read
Oct 16, 2025
CCE Testimony on Overcrowding at Youth Services Center
Council for Court Excellence
TestimonyDYRS oversight
Read
Oct 2025
DC Jail Population Increased Since Federal Law Enforcement Surge
Council for Court Excellence
DataPublic safety
Read
2025
Testimony on the Strengthening Capacity and Transparency at DYRS Amendment Act
Council for Court Excellence
TestimonyLegislationDYRS oversight
Read
2025
2025 CCE Highlights
Council for Court Excellence
Report
Read
2025
DC Victims Guide
Council for Court Excellence
Resource
Read
2025
Youth Still At Risk
Disability Rights DC
ReportDYRS oversight
Read
Jun 12, 2025
OVSJG Budget Oversight
Penelope Spain, DeAngelo Covington & Tyrone Hall · Open City Advocates
TestimonyBudget
Read
Jun 11, 2025
DYRS Budget Oversight
Penelope Spain & Joshua Miller · Open City Advocates
TestimonyBudgetDYRS oversight
Read
May 29, 2025
Office of the Ombudsperson for Children (OFC)
Joshua Miller · Open City Advocates
TestimonyOversight
Read
Mar 28, 2025
Barnes v. District of Columbia — class certification and dismissal ruling
School Justice Project & Washington Lawyers' Committee · Counsel for plaintiffs
Court decisionEducation in custodyDisability rights
Read
202310 items
Dec 13, 2023
Public Safety & Behavioral Health Services and Support for Youth (Joint Oversight Roundtable)
Penelope Spain, Rondell Jordan & Joshua Miller · Open City Advocates
TestimonyOversightBehavioral health
Read
Oct 2023
Marja Plater Testifies on DC School Safety Condition
Washington Lawyers' Committee
TestimonyEducation in custody
Read
Sep 22, 2023
Charles H. v. District of Columbia — settlement agreement on special education at the DC Jail
School Justice Project & Washington Lawyers' Committee · Counsel for plaintiffs
Settlement agreementEducation in custodyDisability rights
Read
Jul 25, 2023
M.J. v. District of Columbia — ongoing community mental-health services litigation
Disability Rights DC · Organizational plaintiff
Ongoing litigationBehavioral healthCrossover youthCommunity-based services
Read
2023
Addressing Crime Trends Amendment Act of 2023 (ACT NOW)
Rondell Jordan · Open City Advocates
TestimonyLegislationPublic safety
Read
2023
Addressing Crime through Targeted Interventions and Violence Enforcement (“ACTIVE”) Amendment Act of 2023
Rondell Jordan · Open City Advocates
TestimonyLegislationPublic safety
Read
2023
Safer Stronger Amendment Act
Rondell Jordan · Open City Advocates
TestimonyLegislationPublic safety
Read
2023
Whole of Government Response to Crime Act of 2023
Joshua Miller · Open City Advocates
TestimonyLegislationPublic safety
Read
May 2023
Supporting Access to DC Council Hearings While Incarcerated
Washington Lawyers' Committee
StatementOversight
Read
Apr 2023
Committee Urges DC Council to Invest in School Safety for Students of Color
Washington Lawyers' Committee
TestimonyBudgetEducation in custody
Read

Citing or sharing this work?

Coalition materials are free to quote and share with attribution. Cite as: Youth Justice Project, [Title], [Date]. Members of the press can reach the coalition through Open City Advocates, the coalition's administrative backbone.