The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services was quick to spin The Washington Examiner’s story regarding two wards briefly escaping into an overcrowding issue.

The reason is simple. It’s clear from Attorney General Peter Nickles’ report on the troubled agency that he wants more secure facilities to house young criminals.The report recommended DYRS add 35 to 50 beds to house more delinquents. That means building or buying a new facility in a addition to New Beginnings’ 60 beds.

New Beginnings cost the public $42 million to build. To gather support for another such project, Nickles and his former deputy attorney general Robert Hildum, who now heads DYRS, will have to convince the public that the overcrowding has put it in danger, too. Two young criminals escaping while being shipped out the facility to reduce overcrowding presented the perfect opportunity.

The full quote from the agency’s spokesman Reggie Sanders, supports that conclusion (emphasis added):

“As to the population at New Beginnings this has been a source of concern for some time. The overcrowding is caused by youth who are awaiting placement at other facilities.  We are exploring every safe and reasonable option for alternate secure placement. Youth have been moved to other secure placements in the last few days but for security reasons we cannot discuss the specifics.”