Bowser not interested in reforming DC youth services agency [Video]

WASHINGTON — Mayor Muriel Bowser is pushing back against the calls to reform the agency charged with the supervision and custody of kids and teens convicted of crimes in the District. 

Last week, Attorney General Brian Schwalb said that the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) is not providing committed youth with a complete treatment plan within 90 days as is required by D.C. law. He added that the failure to provide prompt services is contributing to the high rates of recidivism among District youth. 

“Almost every single one of the kids committed to DYRS care gets arrested again. That is not acceptable,” Schwalb said during a Tuesday press conference. 

Schwalb has introduced the Recidivism Reduction, Oversight and Accountability for DYRS Act of 2024 — or ROAD Act. The legislation would require DYRS to create a treatment plan for committed youth within 30 days. According …