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JDAI Site Updates

Washington, D.C., Honored by Harvard University

Washington, D.C.’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services was named one of the Top 50 programs of the 2008 Innovations in American Government Awards competition by Harvard University. Selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 applicants, DYRS was identified as one of the best in government innovation on the local, county, city, tribal, state and federal levels.

"The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services has gone from being on the brink of receivership to becoming a system that other states are increasingly viewing as engaged in cutting-edge reforms. This award, coming from the nation’s premier governance institute, is proof positive that the reform efforts are transforming this long-troubled agency into a world-class department of which we can all be proud." Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said.

DYRS Director Vincent Schiraldi stated, "I am particularly proud of the dedication and professionalism of our DYRS staff, especially those who serve on the front lines of the reform effort. Making the Top 50 after being in the basement for so long is a clear sign that we are making a difference in the lives of our youth."

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and DYRS Director Vincent Schiraldi

The Missouri Division of Youth Services was named one of the 15 finalists in recognition of its humane and innovative approach to juvenile justice, which prioritizes treatment over incarceration. Winners of the 2008 Innovations Award will be announced in September 2008. Each of the six winners will receive $100,000 toward the replication and dissemination of its innovation.

The competition was founded at the Harvard Kennedy School by the Ford Foundation in 1985, in the hopes that many of its award-winning programs would be replicated across policy areas and jurisdictions, serving as forerunners for future reform strategies and legislation. The Top 50 programs inform research and academic study at Harvard Kennedy School and other academic institutions around the world.




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