WASHINGTON (7News) — It was a violent week inside the D.C. Youth Services Center, the city's juvenile detention center, as MPD arrested eight juveniles for 14 assaults, and staff had to administer Narcan to an 18-year-old who "exhibited symptoms of intoxication."
The assaults occurred over two separate days.
On Wednesday, May 8, MPD responded to a call to the Youth Services Center - or YSC - for an assault call inside the facility. First responders had to treat one victim for "serious injuries," and officers arrested four juveniles and charged them with assault.
Just days later, on Friday, May 10, MPD officers were again called to YSC for another assault call inside the facility. This time, three victims had to be taken to be treated for "serious injuries." MPD officers arrested four juveniles and charged them with felony assault.
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A government source familiar with the matter confirmed the 14 assaults that occurred during these two days were between youth in the facility, and all four of the juvenile victims had to receive off-site medical care.
In addition to these assaults, the government source confirmed staff had to provide Narcan to an 18-year-old in the facility's custody who "exhibited symptoms of intoxication," but "responded positively."
The D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitative Services, or DYRS, oversees YSC, and DYRS Director Sam Abed confirmed there have been four youths in the facility who have tested positive for "substances" on drug tests - three of whom for opioids - since April 15.
The youth who had to be administered Narcan by facility staff received this treatment on May 3.
Abed provided the following statement:
Our mission at DYRS is to rehabilitate court-involved youth and give them the opportunity to become more productive citizens. It’s unacceptable that anyone would compromise a youth’s pathway to success and the agency is taking proactive measures to enhance security. DYRS fully investigates all reports of contraband introduction or attempted introduction into our facilities. The safety and security of the youth and staff is a priority, and we are implementing preventative protocols, increasing surveillance, and decreasing opportunity for introduction through entrances, visitation, or other points of entry. DYRS does not comment on current or ongoing investigations.
7News also asked the government source how the substances that prompted the use of Narcan may have gotten into YSC.
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That source said, "DYRS fully investigates all reports of contraband introduction or attempted introduction into our facilities. The safety and security of the youth and staff is a priority, and we are implementing preventative protocols, increasing surveillance, and decreasing opportunity for introduction through entrances, visitation, or other points of entry. DYRS does not comment on current or ongoing investigations."
This is not the first time drug use has been an issue inside the city's juvenile detention centers.
During a February hearing with a D.C. Council committee, Abed confirmed there was a positive fentanyl test earlier this year.
"We recently did uncover youth that had tested positive for fentanyl," Abed said in February. "We've instituted pat-down searches after this."
The motive behind last week's assaults is still under investigation.
Abed also discussed in the same February hearing how staff is addressing violence in the facility.
"Keep them in smaller groups so that we have limited opportunities to engage in assaultive behavior," Abed said in February.
Councilmember Trayon White, Sr., is the chair of D.C. Council's Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, which oversees the city's juvenile detention centers.
He told 7News he was stunned and upset after learning about the violent and dangerous month inside YSC.
"The violence in this facility is ridiculous," White said. "We can't afford for anything to happen where we lose a child in this facility under D.C.'s care. The drug use has picked up over the last year-and-a-half, and also the issues where people are unresponsive in their cells. There have been numerous fights."
7News asked White what steps are the city and his committee taking to prevent a repeat of the incidents during the past month.
"I have ongoing meetings with the director. The director has been responsive to our concerns, but we need some stuff to happen immediately," White said. "We've got to figure out how it's getting into the facility. If it's adults bringing it in, those adults need to be held accountable. We also have to figure out what these incidents of violence, how youth get access to other people's living quadrants. We have to have a balanced approach on holding our youth accountable while also holding the leadership and the facility accountable, as well."
These latest worrying incidents come after a year-plus stretch during which 7News has reported on major staffing shortages at juvenile detention facilities.
White said hiring the necessary staff could curtail the issues surrounding violence and drug use.
"There has been ongoing hiring. DYRS had a hiring fair three months ago. Also, they just hired some administrative staff a few weeks ago, so they have about 23 more vacancies they're hiring for now. But the sad reality is they have about 56 staff who are out right now on leave because of injuries, stressed out, depressed," White said.
The question of oversight has also come into play.
Earlier this year, Mayor Bowser faced questions over whether or not she would allow the Office of Independent Juvenile Justice Facilities Oversight to shut down in January.
Bowser created that oversight office as part of a lawsuit settlement in 2020, and was supposed to end operations after three years - the January end date earlier this year - but she had the ability to extend it.
"I haven't said I'm closing anything. We do have an office that has a certain lifespan. I created it, so I can extend it or not extend it," Bowser said in February.
The mayor and council ultimately approved extending the office's operations through September this year, but there has been no discussion if there will be another extension.
7News asked Mayor Bowser's office:
- Why was Mayor Bowser considering letting the oversight office shut down this past January?
- Will Mayor Bowser consider extending the oversight office to stay operational beyond this September?
- Has the oversight office reported any issues that could have predicted the violence and drug use among the juveniles inside YSC over the past month?
- What is the mayor’s response to the 14 assaults and 4 positive drug tests, as well as staff having to administer Narcan at YSC since April?
Bowser's office passed these questions along to the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice's office.
An agency spokesperson reiterated to 7News that the Office of Independent Juvenile Justice Facilities Oversight was only meant to be a three-year program, and there are three other oversight bodies - including Councilmember White's committee - responsible for overseeing the city's juvenile detention centers.
That official went on to say Mayor Bowser "is not considering extending" the oversight office in question "to stay operational beyond September."
In response to the question about the office providing reports that would have suggested last month's drug use and assaults would happen, the spokesperson responded, "No."
That spokesperson addressed the fourth question by responding, "It is unacceptable that anyone would compromise a youth’s pathway to success. To ensure that contraband is not being introduced into the secure facilities, DYRS is taking proactive measures to enhance security including facility-wide contraband sweeps, increased surveillance, to decrease the opportunity for introduction through entrances, visitation, or other points of entry, and partnerships with our public safety partners to bolster and enhance current investigations. We commend the DYRS staff for their quick action in the administration of Narcan in April."
White told 7News he has pushed for funding the Office of Independent Juvenile Justice Facilities Oversight.
"I put money in the budget to staff the two positions to have consistent daily oversight of this agency. The mayor wanted to take it out and get rid of it, but we want to have it funded so you have eyes and ears there at the facility to know what's happening in real-time," White said.
7News also learned the budget the council is currently discussing removes six frontline jobs at the juvenile detention facility, transferring them to other agencies.
We asked White how the detention center will be able to keep juveniles in their custody safe if this job reduction is approved. He said these six jobs - and a total of more than 20 - have remained unfilled for years.
"For five years straight, they have not filled the positions at the facility. We're concerned about that and have used overtime. We're concerned about that, so we are trying to work with the agency to find out what the happy medium is for the right number of people to be hired there," White said.
White said his committee will have a hearing on June 21 to ask DYRS Director Abed about new measures that will be considered in the wake of the alarming incidents in the past month.
The scathing details from these latest incidents may not be the end of the problems for D.C.'s juvenile justice system.
7News has learned a teenage incarcerated at another D.C. juvenile detention facility filed a lawsuit last week against the city and employees of that facility, claiming the staff members - in one incident - tackled him, slammed his head on the ground, held him in a chokehold, and even threatened to kill him.
