Posted May 5th 2010

Dear Mr. Mayor and Members of the D.C. Council:


In light of the continuing reports that the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) has been unable to maintain custody of dangerous teens remanded to its care, I respectfully request that the Office of the Mayor, and the appropriate D.C. Council Committees, including the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, disclose to the public the following:


* the number of juvenile offenders currently remanded to the custody of DYRS for violent crime;

* the number of those violent offenders who have escaped DYRS custody over the past three years;

* the number of those violent escapees who are still at-large; and,

* the number of those escapees who were involved in nationally-recognized, outcome-based community mentoring programs.


I believe that the public is entitled to this information so we can know the scope of the danger posed by these at-large violent offenders.


I also believe the public has a right to know whether DYRS is using outcome-based community mentoring programs to reduce recidivism. It would be irresponsible for the Mayor’s office and the Council, which has oversight responsibility on programs involving criminal justice, to keep this information hidden from the community.


Sincerely,

Clark Ray
Candidate for D.C. Council, At-Large


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