Legislative Tracker

ACTION ALERT: DOC Director confirmation hearing

Posted by DCLY on Friday, December 9, 2011 at 2:50pm

December 15th ,12:00 noon in Hearing Room 123 of the John Wilson Building, the DC Council Judiciary Committee is holding a DOC Director confirmation hearing. This hearing is to potenitally confirm Thomas Faust as the new Director of the DC Department of Corrections. (DOC).

We strongly encourage you to sign up to testify, attend the hearing, and spread the word! This is the first major opportunity in years to influence the direction of the department, especially to raise issues about the inhumane treatment of the 40+ youth at the Central Treatment Facility (CTF), an adult jail where young people charged and/or sentenced as adults are incarcerated.

To testify, please contact Christina Setlow, Legislative Counsel, at (202) 724-7808, by fax at (202) 724-6664, or via e-mail at csetlow@dccouncil.us, and provide your name, address, telephone number, organizational affiliation and title (if any) by close of business Tuesday, December 13, 2011.

If you are interested in testifying and would like to discuss your testimony or need assistance in testifying, please contact Liz Ryan at the Campaign for Youth Justice at lryan@cfyj.org or at (202-558-3580 ext. 11.)

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DYRS Escapee Photo Identification Release

Posted by DCLY on Friday, December 9, 2011 at 2:43pm

Bill 19-301 would amend Title 16 of DC's Official Code to provide that if a DYRS youth escapes from a secure juvenile facility, DYRS has to release to the public certain information. This information includes any and all information subject to disclosure, including a photograph, within one hour of the absconding or escaping, shall list the respondent as a fugitive from justice with any other designation deemed appropriate, and shall release additional information if it is necessary to protect the respondent or the public safety and welfare. More information can be found at http://www.dccouncil.us/hearing-notices/dyrs-escapee-photo-identification-release.

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B19-0516: Advisory Neighborhood Commission Residential Facility Notification Amendment Act of 2011

Posted by DCLY on Friday, December 9, 2011 at 2:39pm

This bill will amend the Advisory Neighborhood Councils Act (1975) to require notice to Advisory Neighborhood Commissions of the potential location of community-based residential facilities. These facilities as the bill is worded now would include housing for the homeless, mentally ill or DYRS among others. More information can be found at http://www.dccouncil.us/events/aging-community-affairs-unemployment-anti-discrimination-anc-residential-fa.

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South Capitol Street Tragedy Memorial Act of 2011

Posted by DCLY on Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 12:02pm

News continues to develop regarding this legislation aimed at improving youth access to mental health services and reducing truancy. The legislation was introduced on March 30, 2011 by CM David Catania (At-Large). The full text of the bill can be found here: http://bit.ly/dUPDRY. A section by section summary conducted by CM Catania's office can be found here: http://bit.ly/gJdlLn. Stay tuned for news and analysis regarding the bill by DCLY.

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ACTION ALERT--DC COUNCIL TO CONSIDER JUVENILE CONFIDENTIALITY BILL TOMORROW 9/21

Posted by DCLY on Monday, September 20, 2010 at 5:05pm

ACTION ALERT: CALL DC COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 20 & 21!!

AMEND YOUTH INFORMATION SHARING LEGISLATION

OVERVIEW:

On Tuesday, September 21st, the DC Council will consider “expanding access to juvenile records” legislation that would make many records for youth involved in the juvenile justice system publicly available. This bill also would allow officials - such as police officers - to share information on youth involved in the juvenile justice system arrest with the youth’s school, even if the youth’s only contact with the juvenile justice system was an arrest for a minor incident.

Sharing information has negative effects for youth and may keep youth from getting on the right track - Sharing information on youth involved in the juvenile justice system has been shown to have long-lasting effects. These effects include creating trouble for youth trying to join the armed services or get a job, financial aid for college, an apartment, or a driver’s license - things that help youth become positive, law-abiding members of society. In addition, keeping juvenile records private is one of the main, critical differences between the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems and recognizes the ability of youth involved in the juvenile justice system to change later in their lives. Making the record of a youth’s involvement with the juvenile justice public means that even when the youth is an adult, he may face barriers and discrimination from potential employers and landlords who will now have access to his juvenile record.

On September 20^th, please contact members of the DC Council and ask them to support amendments to this bill that would keep the records of these youth confidential!

We need your help to ask the DC Council to:

Strike the bill’s public disclosure section, which permits any member of the public to access the records of certain youth. For certain crimes, this legislation would allow only one strike before making a juvenile’s record public and would deny the juvenile the opportunity to benefit from the very rehabilitative services the system was designed to deliver. This type of public disclosure makes it very difficult for youth to overcome past actions and make positive changes in their lives
Strike the information sharing section, which allows information regarding any youth involved in the juvenile justice system to be shared with his principal, teacher, school counselor or with any licensed social worker or other mental health provider. Information shared with these groups can lead to increased stigmatization or lowered expectations of youth, and could be misused by leading to fewer services being delivered to isolated youth rather than more.
Support aggregate data collection to increase the accountability of the court and agencies whose mission it is to rehabilitate and treat troubled youth!

CONTACT DC COUNCIL:

On Monday, September 20^th, please contact 1) the Councilmember for your Ward, 2) the DC Council Chair, and 3) the At-Large Councilmembers who represent all of DC. Their contact information can be found at the bottom of this alert.

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 on Tuesday, September 21^st, the DC Council will consider “expanding access to juvenile records” legislation which would make many juvenile records for certain youth publicly available, and would allow broad sharing of juvenile records with schools and mental health providers for any youth who has had even minimal contact with the juvenile justice system.

The Expanded Access to Juvenile Records legislation:

--Harms children’s futures because it negatively impacts their educational and employment opportunities;

--Stigmatizes children most in need of services;

--Increases racial disparities in DC’s juvenile justice system as youth of color will be most impacted by this punitive and harmful legislation.

I urge you to protect youths’ futures and amend the Expanded Access legislation by:

--Striking the public disclosure section, which permits any member of the public to access the records of certain juvenile offenders;

--Striking the information sharing section, which allows the records of any juvenile to be shared with his principal, teacher, school counselor or mental health provider; and

-- Support aggregate data collection to ensure that the court and other agencies are treating and rehabilitating troubled youth.

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 meeting].

Thank you for your consideration.

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR COUNCIL OFFICES:

Vincent C. Gray, Council Chairman

vgray@dccouncil.us

(202) 724-8032

Phil Mendelson, Judiciary Committee Chair (At-Large)

pmendelson@dccouncil.us

(202) 724-8064

Kwame R. Brown, Councilmember (At-Large)