Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services  Opens State-of-the-Art Secure Facility for District Youth

Secure facility will help to improve public safety by building on youth’s strengths

Washington, DC – Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) announced today the opening of the New Beginnings Youth Development Center, replacing the Oak Hill Youth Center facility, located in Laurel, Maryland. The official opening of New Beginnings Youth Development Center fulfills the widely shared goal of Mayor Adrian Fenty’s 2004 legislation to close Oak Hill and usher in a new era of how youth are treated in the District’s juvenile justice system.

"I tasked my staff to create a space that would maximize the potential for our troubled young people to turn their lives around,” said Mayor Fenty.  “Under Director Schiraldi’s leadership, DYRS has produced one of the best rehabilitative facilities in the country."  

New Beginnings will house 60 committed youth in housing units of 10 beds each.  The living units are designed to maximize the opportunity for positive youth development in a therapeutic setting, as well as safety and security, in a youth-friendly environment.  

DYRS believes this state-of-the-art facility will help improve public safety by giving court involved youth the opportunity to become more productive citizens by building on the youths’ strengths in the least restrictive, most homelike environment, consistent with public safety.

“This has been a tremendous undertaking for all involved from the leadership and shared vision of the Mayor, to our many supportive stakeholders and DYRS employees,” said Vincent N. Schiraldi, Director, DYRS.  “We believe this will help us achieve the goal of safer communities through renewed and productive lives for our youth.”    

Reconvictions of youth leaving Oak Hill have been cut in half, from 33 percent in 2005 to 16 percent in 2007, meaning our communities are safer and our young people are becoming contributing members of our communities.

Some youth with less serious offenses have been moved to community based services, and their recidivism rate has declined by 19 percent, allowing DYRS to focus secure care on the youth who have committed more serious offenses, quadrupling the time they spend in secure custody, but in a much smaller and more rehabilitative setting.