Youth Supervision, D.C.-Style

Asked about gang members' involvement in the juvenile justice system, Graham told me that of 14 gang-related incidents in Ward 1 since June, "seven of the principal persons involved, either as victims or aggressors, are known to be in the juvenile justice system." He also said that "at least one-third of all young people" involved in recent gang-related violent incidents have had contact with the juvenile justice system.

Graham cited this example of a 15-year-old male resident of Ward 1:

He was charged with two carjackings and with stealing guns from an FBI car. While under DYRS supervision, the teenager carjacked a third car, which he later drove to court. After he left court, police identified the car as stolen and arrested him. He's facing seven years on juvenile and adult charges in the District and potentially 40 years for charges in Prince George's County.

What does DYRS supervision mean?

The system is not supposed to work that way, at least to hear D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray tell it.

He said the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services was placed under the jurisdiction of the Human Services Committee, chaired by council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), to "emphasize the intended focus on rehabilitation within a human-services context rather than corrections, which dominates adult public safety approaches."

Gray said he hoped "that this would provide young people with an opportunity to constructively address and resolve the psychodynamics that led them into difficulty in the first place."

Ah, yes.

In a telephone interview yesterday with Wells, I asked whether he knew about the alleged improper DYRS staff-detainee relationship.

Wells said that he received "a heads-up from Vinnie Schiraldi," the DYRS chief, on Thursday because the department thought the story might be published. "And [it was] only because you got it that I got it," Wells said.

Wells said Schiraldi told him that the youth had been assigned to an independent-living arrangement in Baltimore and that the officer had visited him there. Schiraldi confirmed that the two were married and said that three days after the wedding, the officer filed a domestic violence complaint against her husband. Wells said that he was told the officer had been fired.

From a D.C. government source: The youth ran away from Dupree House. On Sept. 24, a Superior Court judge signed a custody order (warrant) for his arrest. Prior custody orders had been issued in August.