The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) operates two secure facilities to house youth in their custody:
- Youth Services Center (YSC): A 98-bed facility located in the District of Columbia; and
- New Beginnings Youth Development Center (New Beginnings): A 60-bed facility located in Laurel, Maryland.
DYRS securely confines youth with various legal statuses in these facilities, including:
Detained youth: Youth who have been ordered by a court to be securely confined pending the outcome of trial.
Committed youth: Youth who have been adjudicated by a court and found to have been involved in delinquent behavior.
Title 16 youth: Youth under the age of 18 who have been charged as adults.
Overnighters: Youth arrested and securely detained pending presentation at court.
Interstate Compact for Juveniles: Youth from jurisdictions other than the District of Columbia confined by DYRS under the Interstate Compact for Juveniles.
Youth in DYRS custody may have multiple legal statuses, meaning, for example, they could be committed for one offense while securely detained for a different offense pending the outcome of a trial.
Three charts below provide data on the populations of youth at the YSC and New Beginnings, starting in mid-September 2021. The drop-down menu in the upper right corner switches data views between the YSC and New Beginnings.
The first chart displays the population levels in each facility, while the following two charts offer information on the variables determining facility population levels: "length of stay" (the time youth spend securely confined) and the number of facility admissions. The data in these charts can be filtered by time period, legal status, race, gender, and age.
The YSC opened on December 17, 2004 with an 80-bed capacity. On June 17, 2008, eight additional cells were opened (one on each housing unit), increasing the facility capacity to 88. On December 8, 2023, a new, 10-bed housing unit was opened, increasing the facility capacity to 98.