Under this agreement, juveniles under the age of 18 who have been deemed guilty of felony offenses will remain in the custody of DCDOC until they reach the age of majority.  Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, a strong advocate for the District’s juvenile and adult offender populations, played a key role in the formulation and execution of this exceedingly important agreement.

According to Director Brown, “the DCDOC strongly supports this initiative and recognizes that it marks a major milestone for the juvenile population.”  Until this agreement came to fruition, the DOC housed juveniles being adjudicated as adults until they were sentenced, designated to federal custody and transferred to regions as distant as North Dakota.  For many years, the DCDOC, government officials, community leaders, and juvenile advocates have emphasized the importance of housing District youth who are serving felony sentences closer to our boundaries.  With enactment of the 1997 DC Revitalization Act, the U.S. Department of Justice assumed financial and administrative responsibility for the District’s felony offender population.  Incorporated in the Revitalization Act is a mandate to prioritize the placement of inmates, both juveniles and adults, within 500 miles of the District. “While the distance from family and community impacts most offenders, it is especially significant for the juvenile population who typically need consistent support in order to constructively transition into the adult penal system.” says Director Brown.

Beginning in 2006, the DCDOC has continuously strengthened its overall operations through security upgrades, focused recruitment, enhanced staff development, as well as expansion of its inmate rehabilitative offerings.  As part of this process, special focus has been placed on intensifying the therapeutic interventions available to juvenile offenders.  Innovative and effective educational and behavioral programming supported by specially trained DCDOC staff along with a dedicated cadre of professionals from the DC Public School system have greatly aided in this undertaking.  According to Director Brown, “while there is a strong foundation already in existence, the new agreement allows the Department to further enhance the programs and services offered this population.  We are confident that the momentum already established will continue as we fulfill our mission of ensuring public safety for the citizens of the District of Columbia, providing an orderly safe, secure, and humane environment, and offering meaningful rehabilitative opportunities that support successful reintegration into the community.”