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.