Troubled Youth Agency May Gain Cabinet Status

The mayor of Washington D.C., Anthony A. Williams, proposed making the Youth Services Administration of D.C. its own Cabinet-level agency. This is a critical step in the city's attempt to reform decades of problems in the city's juvenile justice system. If approved the agency would have four divisions which include secure programs, court and community programs, support services and performance management. Other offices would handle legal issues, internal investigations and monitor compliance.
City officials believed the change would give independence and reorganization to the administration, which has been under court order since 1986. The administration runs the juvenile jail and group homes. It is the largest division of the city's welfare agency, the Department of Human Services.