Youth Supervision, D.C.-Style

A bare-bones Washington love story: She met him on the job. They fell in love, got married and set up housekeeping.

Now let's put some meat on those bones.

She's a correctional officer at the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services' Oak Hill center, which holds juvenile offenders in secure detention. He's a runaway youth under DYRS supervision.

Their relationship began when he was 16. Nuptials were performed in August. He's 18 and living with her.

The foregoing came via a whistle-blower who feared that the public relations-conscious agency would sweep word of this improper relationship under the rug.

In response to my inquiries, acting DYRS public information officer Reggie Sanders said via e-mail on Wednesday: "There has been an allegation regarding improper conduct by one of our staff. We launched an investigation into that allegation and placed the staff member in question on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. During this time, the young person was transferred to a different facility. Due to personnel and juvenile confidentiality laws, we cannot give or confirm the names of any individual alleged to be involved."

Follow-up e-mails to Sanders drew references to confidentiality rules and this warning: "Whoever is providing you with this information is violating the law by doing so."

Still, what does it mean to be placed under DYRS supervision?

That's not asked lightly.

Two miles north of the White House, a war is going on.

Violence between gangs has left 11 youths or young adults wounded in Ward 1 since Oct. 1, according to D.C. Council member Jim Graham, who represents the area.

Graham has been sounding the alarm. It was finally heard by Mayor Adrian Fenty, who on Thursday announced additional community policing resources for Ward 1.