Newsroom: Press Releases
DCLY Launches Young Achievers Program
DC Lawyers for Youth (DCLY) successfully launched its Young Achievers Program to highlight the accomplishments of young people within our community. Each Young Achiever receives a certificate from DCLY acknowledging their work and a $50 gift certificate to a local business. In October 2010, DCLY proudly named D’yahna Jones as its first Young Achiever.
D’yahna Jones, nominated by her Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) counselor, is a dynamic individual. D'yahna is not only a stellar student at Cesar Chavez Public Charter School maintaining above a 3.8 GPA, she has been a participant in the LAYC program, including Upward Bound, for the past three years. She has been instrumental in planning LAYC’s college tours and other program activities. Most recently, D'yahna was involved in the Washington DC Mayoral Election. D'yahna volunteered her entire day to make sure that voters were informed while serving as Polling Official and making sure that the voting process went smooth at LAYC. D'yahna is an all-around great citizen and young scholar who will be a very successful young adult.
D’yahna is honored to be DCLY’s inaugural Young Achiever and she has lots to say to DC’s youth and adults alike, “Every young person has something special about them; they have goals and shouldn’t be doubted just because of where they come from. Young people should speak up about their goals, be open and get help if they need it. Talk to others about what you don’t know so that you can find out.” It is this self-advocacy and determination that D’yahna believes has gotten her this far and will enable her to reach her ultimate goal of becoming a doctor.
Know a Young Achiever in DC? Then let us know about the young person in your community who is making a difference.
“No Jobs for Youth Act” Sets Dangerous Precedent and Bad Policy for Juvenile Justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2010
Contact: Daniel Okonkwo, 734-276-2816
“No Jobs for Youth Act” Sets Dangerous Precedent and Bad Policy for Juvenile Justice
D.C. Coalition Intensifies Efforts to Fight the Bill Before Final Vote
Washington, DC: A coalition of youth and justice advocates, mental health experts, services providers and community members opposed the “No Jobs for Youth Act” (Expanding Access to Juvenile Records Act of 2010), which was considered by D.C. council members yesterday. The group believes that Phil Mendelson’s bill would damage youths’ ability to secure employment by making many records for youth involved in the juvenile justice system publicly available. The coalition also argues that the bill sets a dangerous precedent by disclosing information that undermines the rehabilitative principles of the juvenile justice system by robbing youth of the opportunity to get on the right track.
The coalition believes that sound juvenile justice policy includes workforce and academic programs that allow youth to make better choices, and confidentiality provisions which give youth a second chance at making better decisions. The legislation would make many records for youth involved in the juvenile justice system publicly available. This bill would also allow officials to share information on youth involved in the juvenile justice system with schools, even if the youth’s only contact with the juvenile justice system was for a minor arrest or even if the arrest did not result in filing charges or a conviction.
“This fight for good policy and job access isn’t over,” said D.C. Lawyers for Youth executive director, Daniel Okonkwo. “We’re working with council members to do the right thing for kids and the community. The council can salvage the bill by striking the most damaging provisions.”
In the first reading of the bill on Tuesday, July 13, council members voted in favor of the Act. The Youth Justice Project will fight the bill before its second reading in the fall on September 21.
DC Council Declines to Pass Emergency Curfew Legislation
DC Council Declines to Pass Emergency Curfew Legislation
In a legislative session on Tuesday, June 1, the DC Council voted down emergency curfew legislation introduced by Councilmember Tommy Wells. The "Youth Safety and Summer Curfew Emergency Amendment Act of 2010" was defeated by a vote of 7-6.
The final roll call of votes was as follows:
T. Wells--Yes
Y. Alexander--Yes
M. Barry--No
M. Bowser--Yes
K. Brown--Yes
M. Brown--No
D. Catania--No
M. Cheh--No
J. Evans--Yes
J. Graham--Yes
V. Gray--No
P. Mendelson--No
H. Thomas--No
Urgent Action Alert: Call DC Council to urge "NO" vote on Youth Curfew Bill
ACTION ALERT: CALL DC COUNCIL MEMBERS (5/31/10)
URGE “NO” VOTE ON CURFEW BILL
On Tuesday, June 1st, the DC Council is expected to vote on “emergency”
legislation to expand DC’s youth curfew, the "Youth Safety and Summer
Curfew Emergency Amendment Act of 2010.” This “emergency” legislation is being
proposed by Councilman Wells (D-Ward 6) and is similar to a bill he proposed in
2007 that did not pass. No hearings have been held on this measure and
Councilman Wells has not contacted DC residents, youth advocates,
youth-servicing organizations, and youth-led organizations to invite their
views on legislation that would directly affect youth. The Council tries to do
this every summer, but fails to consider the bigger picture issues the rest of
the year. This type of legislation is not only ineffective, but it actually has
the potential to place our city's youth in harm's way. The Council needs to
know that doing such emergency legislation without a hearing after a long
weekend despite having had nine months since the last summer to develop
positive summer opportunities for our youth is not acceptable. Please make this
known to your council members.
Please contact your council member as well as the following council members:
Vincent C. Gray, Council Chairman
vgray@dccouncil.us
(202) 724-8032
Kwame R. Brown, Councilmember (At-Large)
kbrown@dccouncil.us
(202) 724-8174
Michael A. Brown, Councilmember (At-Large)
mbrown@dccouncil.us
(202) 724-8105
Muriel Bowser, Councilmember (Ward 4)
mbowser@dccouncil.us
(202) 724-8052
Harry Thomas, Jr., Councilmember (Ward 5)
hthomas@dccouncil.us
(202) 724-8028
Yvette M. Alexander, Councilmember (Ward 7)
yalexander@dccouncil.us
(202) 724-8068
Marion Barry, Councilmember (Ward 8)
mbarry@dccouncil.us
(202) 724-8045
SAMPLE LETTER:
May 31, 2010
The Honorable Vincent Gray
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building, Suite 504
1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Gray,
I understand that the DC Council will vote on Tuesday, June 1st on the
"Youth Safety and Summer Curfew Emergency Amendment Act of 2010” to expand
the youth curfew. I urge you to vote “no” on this bill. Such a bill will not reduce
crime or increase public safety, has the potential to actually decrease youth
safety since most harm to youth occurs in their own home, and could needlessly
involve more youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Moreover,
it is incredibly upsetting to me that the council spends time virtually every
spring considering this ineffective band-aid, but has yet to undertake any
meaningful, long-term evaluation of the opportunities (or lack thereof)
available to youth over the summer. What the community needs is for the Council
to invest time and money in the creation of meaningful, well-run summer youth
employment and recreational programs as well as attempt to attract more
youth-oriented or youth-serving businesses to the District so that youth have a
place to hang out on the evenings and weekends. Thus, just as the Council has
done to study the issues relating to the juvenile justice system, I recommend
that the Council create a six-to-nine-month long commission to study the lack
of meaningful summer opportunities for youth in the District so that an
strategy to keep youth safe and productive can be developed and implemented in
anticipation of next summer.
Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have any questions or would
like to discuss this issue further, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Eduardo Ferrer
Chief Operating Officer
Campaign for Youth Justice
DC Lawyers for Youth
(202) 271-0588
cc: Dawn Slonneger, Chief of Staff
SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS:
--Hi! I'd like to speak to Council member _________.
[If they are not available, ask to speak to the staff person who handles
juvenile justice or youth issues. Speak to that person if they are available.
If neither is available, ask to leave a brief voice message for the staff]
My name is _____ and I live in Ward ___ [or represent ____ organization].
I understand that the DC Council will vote on Tuesday, June 1st on the
"Youth Safety and Summer Curfew Emergency Amendment Act of 2010” to expand
the youth curfew and I urge you to vote “no” on this bill because it will:
--Not reduce crime or increase public safety;
--Potentially lead to increases in police harassment of youth; and
--Involve more youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
Instead of expanding a youth curfew, I urge you to:
--Invest in youth programs such as summer youth employment and recreational
programs;
--Hold public hearings on any legislation affecting young people; and
--Invite youth to provide their input on legislation affecting young people.
Here's my address _____________ and I would appreciate a written response to my
concerns.
[If you are talking to a staff member, ask them to share your concerns with the
council member BEFORE Tuesday’s full council meeting].
Thank you for your consideration. Please let me know if you have any questions.
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