Washington, D.C. – Today, the District of Columbia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) released a study on the Youth Rehabilitation Amendment Act (YRA), which provides sentencing alternatives for young adult offenders under 22 years of age who are sentenced for any crime other than murder, including murder associated with acts of terrorism. The YRA also provides an opportunity for youth to have the conviction “set aside” (sealed from public view) if the youth satisfies the conditions of the sentence. The study was conducted at the request of Mayor Muriel Bowser, who is the Chair of the CJCC; the study also addresses a related request from Councilmember Charles Allen, Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, who is also a member of the CJCC.

"The study responds to the specific call for analysis on the questions posed by the Mayor and Councilmember Allen in order to inform legislation and policy regarding young adult offenders," said Mannone A. Butler, CJCC Executive Director following the study’s release.

In particular, the study provides information on how the YRA has been applied, including the proportion of offenders who were eligible for and ultimately received a YRA sentence and had their convictions set aside; how likely YRA-sentenced persons and those who had their convictions set aside were to reoffend; and the availability of rehabilitative programming for YRA-sentenced persons. The study covers cases and persons who were eligible for a YRA sentence during 2010, 2011, and 2012 to allow for an evaluation of reoffending after the completion of the sentence.

The complete study as well as a Briefing Summary can be found here.

The mission of the CJCC is to serve as the forum for identifying issues and their solutions, proposing actions, and facilitating cooperation that will improve public safety and the related criminal and juvenile justice services for District of Columbia residents, visitors, victims, and offenders. Through collaboration, information sharing, and promoting forward-thinking criminal and juvenile justice policies and initiatives, the CJCC’s federal and local law enforcement members develop recommendations and strategies to make the District of Columbia a safer city for all.