Co un c il of t h e D i s tri c t o f Co lumbi a COMMITTEE ON THE JU DI C I A R Y COMM I TTEE R EPORT

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

2015 HAR 3 I PM 12: 19

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue , N.W. , Wa s hington , DC 20004

To:

From:

Date:

Subject:

Members of the Council of the District of Columbia

Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie Chairperson, Committee on the Judiciary

March 30, 2015

Report on PR21-0030, the "Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitatio~ Services Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of 2015"

The Committee on the Judiciary, to which Proposed Resolution 21-0030, the "Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of 2015" was referred, reports favorably thereon, and recommends approval by the Council of the District of Columbia.

CONTENTS

Statement of Purpose and Effect -------------------- Page 2

Legislative History------------------------ Page 3

Position of the Executive _ _____________________ Page 3

Advisory Neighborhood Commission Comments. ______________ Page 3

Witness List and Hearing Record _ ___ ________________ Page 3

Impact on Existing Law ____________________ ___ Page 6

Fiscal Impact __________________________ Page 6

Section-by-Section Analysis--- --- --- ------------ Page 6

Committee Action------------------------- Page 6

List of Attachments ------------------------ Page 7

ST A TEMENT OF PURPOSE AND EFFECT

Proposed Resolution 21-0030, the "Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of 2015," was introduced on January 27, 2015. This resolution would confirm the appointment of Clinton Lacey as the Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.

I. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services

The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) is responsible for the supervision, custody, and care of young people charged with a delinquent act in the District of Columbia in one of the following settings:

I. Youth are detained in a DYRS facility while awaiting adjudication, or 2. Youth are committed to DYRS by a District of Columbia Family Court judge

following adjudication.

Youth can be initially committed to the agency until the age of 18 and may remain in DYRS' care until the age of 21. The agency provides comprehensive supportive services to committed youth, both in its secure facilities and within the community, and is designed to help young people successfully transition into adulthood.

DYRS works with other District agencies, community partners, and juvenile justice experts to implement innovative, research-based models that are in line with best practices in the juvenile justice and youth development fields.

II. Nominee's Qualifications

Clinton Lacey most recently served as Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation. Since 2011, Mr. Lacey provided oversight and supervision for adult probation operations consisting of more than 600 staff members and 25,000 clients. He also designed, implemented, and managed the Neighborhood Opportunity Network, as well as a series of young men's initiatives.

Prior to serving with the Department of Probation, Mr. Lacey served as Senior Project Manager for the W. Haywood Burns Institute from 2005 to 2015, where he consulted local jurisdictions engaged in the Burns Institute Disproportionate Minority Confinement reduction process. Mr. Lacey also served as the Director of Youth Justice Programs for the Vera Institute of Justice, the Associate Executive Director of the Friends of Island Academy, and the Program Coordinator for Youth Turn.

Mr. Lacey holds a Bachelors of Arts in History from the Herbert H. Lehman College at the City University of New York and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from the Columbia University Institute for Non-Profit Management.

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III. Committee's Recommendation

Clinton Lacey has extensive experience working to improve juvenile justice systems across the country. His most recent work as Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation demonstrates that he has the ability to manage large organizations, while implementing successful new programs. In particular, the Committee received reports on the nominee's willingness to work collaboratively and conscientiously with all stakeholders to better serve the young people in his care. His own testimony reflects his dedication to understanding and addressing the serious challenges faced by young people that lead to their involvement in the juvenile justice system. Therefore, the Committee finds, based on the nominee's experience, testimony, and numerous recommendations, that Mr. Lacey demonstrates the experience and vision necessary to lead the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.

Therefore, the Committee recommends that the Council confirm his appointment as the Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.

January 27, 2015

February 3, 2015

February 6, 2015

February 13, 2015

March 16, 2015

March 19, 2015

March 30, 2015

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

PR2 l-0030 introduced by Chairman Mendelson at the request of the Mayor.

PR2 l-0030 is referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Notice of Intent to Act on PR21-0030 is published in the District of Columbia Register.

Notice of Public Roundtable 1s published in the District of Columbia Register.

Filed Revised Notice of Public Roundtable with the Office of the Secretary.

Public roundtable on PR2 l-0030 1s held by the Committee on the Judiciary.

Consideration and vote on PR2 l-0030 by the Committee on the Judiciary.

POSITION OF THE EXECUTIVE

Clinton Lacey is the Mayor's nominee for the position of Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. The Mayor's comments in the attached January 27, 2015, letter requesting confirmation of the nominee are hereby incorporated by reference.

ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION COMMENTS

The Committee received no testimony or comments from Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.

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WITNESS LIST AND HEARING RECORD

On Thursday, March 19, 2015, the Committee on the Judiciary held a public roundtable on PR21-0030, the "Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of 2015". A video recording of the roundtable can be viewed at www.oct.dc.gov. The following witnesses testified at the roundtable or submitted statements

outside of the roundtable:

Public Witnesses

Marc Schindler - Executive Director, Justice Policy Institute

Marc Schindler testified in support of the confirmation of Clinton Lacey to serve as the Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. Mr. Schindler served in a number of capacities at DYRS between 2005 and 2010, including as General Counsel, Chief of Staff, and Interim Director. Mr. Schindler highlighted Director Lacey's experience managing a large public agency of DYRS's size and complexity and successfully serving young people in New York City

agencies and non-profits.

In addition, Mr. Schindler noted that Mr. Lacey has the ability to work with all the relevant stakeholders to solve public safety and youth development challenges. Mr. Schindler felt that Mr. Lacey would be able to build on D.C. YouthLink, reduce the number of out-of-District placements, and address issues such as the presence of youth at adult correctional facilities and the shackling of youth in D.C. courts.

Reverend Ruben Austria - Executive Director, Community Connections for Youth

Reverend Austria testified in support of Mr. Lacey's appointment. Reverend Austria supported the appointment of Clinton Lacey due to the nominee's professional expertise, innovative leadership, and personal character. Reverend Austria knew Mr. Lacey when Mr. Lacey worked at the Friends of the Island Academy, which successfully brought young people home from Riker's Island, kept them from re-offending, and prepared them for adulthood. Reverend Austria testified that Mr. Lacey was responsible for much of this success.

Reverend Austria also spoke to Mr. Lacey's experience with the New York City Department of Probation, which oversaw the majority of the young people in New York's justice system. Reverend Austria highlighted Mr. Lacey's work on the Neighborhood Opportunity Networks and the ARCHES Transformative Mentoring Intervention, which utilized "credible messengers" to reach young people. Finally, Reverend Austria focused on Mr. Lacey's collaborative and ethical work and the relationships he has built throughout his career.

Tshaka Barrows - Deputy Director, W Haywood Burns Institute

Mr. Barrows iraveled from Oakland, CA, to testify in support of the nominee. Mr. Barrows described how Mr. Lacey's work at Friends of the Island Academy led Mr. Barrows to

4

recruit Mr. Lacey for the W. Haywood Burns Institute. Mr. Barrows also described Mr. Lacey's work for the Institute, where he served as a successful Site Manager. Finally, Mr. Barrows reported that he received positive reports on Mr. Lacey's leadership at the New York City Department of Probation, particularly from young people.

Tim Traylor - Local President, American Federation of Government Employees Local 0383

Mr. Traylor testified in support of the nominee. Mr. Traylor spoke highly of Mr. Lacey after getting to know him in a recent meeting to discuss personnel matters and agency management. He noted that Mr. Lacey took the time to engage with the union and front line staff. While Mr. Traylor noted his concerns with the prior leadership of the agency, he expressed optimism regarding his relationship with Mr. Lacey.

Lorenzo Ha"ison - Public Witness

Mr. Harrison testified on behalf of the nominee. Mr. Harrison worked with Mr. Lacey in New York City. He noted Mr. Lacey's implementation of quality re-entry interventions that started before the end of a young person's incarceration. In addition, Mr. Harrison described the quality of Mr. Lacey's capacity for understanding complex policy, organization, administration, management, results, and leadership. In particular, Mr. Harrison described Mr. Lacey's work on Mayor Bloomberg's Young Men's Initiative, the Ban the Box Initiative, and the Neighborhood Opportunity Networks. Finally, Mr. Harrison described Mr. Lacey's upbringing and the role of Mr. Lacey's parents in the Civil Rights movement.

Government Witnesses

Clinton Lacey - Nominee

Mr. Lacey testified regarding his experience and vision for the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. He discussed his work at the Friends oflsland Academy and his recogoition that it is ineffective to be "tough" on kids. He explained how underlying factors such as housing, healthcare, mental health, employment, education, the need for positive peers, and family engagement can be challenges in a young person's life. He described how he modeled national best practices to help reform agencies around the country while at the Vera Institute of Justice and how he addressed disparities in local juvenile justice systems while at the W. Haywood Burns Institute. Mr. Lacey also described the benefits of his community-based approach at the New York City Department of Probation.

Mr. Lacey ended by describing his priorities for the agency, which include; (1) focusing on trauma informed care; (2) continuing and enhancing investments in community partnerships; (3) ensuring programs are aligned with best practices and are evidence-based; (4) reducing the use of out-of-state placements; (5) expanding the agency's data-driven decision making; (6) increasing transparency and accountability for the community and staff; and (7) staff development.

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IMPACT ON EXISTING LAW

The Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services is appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council pursuant to Section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law§ 2-142; D.C. Official Code§ 1-523.01). Absent Council action, by operation of law, the appointment is deemed approved on the 901

h day (excluding days of Council recess) following submission of the nomination by the Mayor. 1

FISCAL IMPACT

The approval of PR2 l-0030 will have no fiscal impact.

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

States the short title of the legislation.

Confirms the appointment of Clinton Lacey as the Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.

Requires that a copy of the resolution, upon adoption, be transmitted to the appointee and the Mayor.

Provides that the resolution shall take effect immediately.

COMMITTEE ACTION

On March 30, 2015, the Committee on the Judiciary held an Additional Meeting to consider and markup PR2 l-0030, the "Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of 2015". The meeting was called to order at 3:05 p.m. Chairperson Kenyan R. McDuffie recognized a quorum consisting of him and Councilmembers Anita Bonds (At Large) and Mary Cheh (Ward 3). Chairperson McDuffie, without objection, moved the Committee Print and Committee Report for PR2 l-0030 in bloc with leave for staff to make technical changes. After an opportunity for discussion, the Committee voted 3-0 to approve the Committee Report and Committee Print with the members voting as follows:

YES: Councilmembers Bonds, Cheh, and Chairperson McDuffie

NO: None

PRESENT: None

ABSENT: Councilmember Evans

1 D.C. Code§ 1-523.0l(a) (2015).

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LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

(A) PR21-0030, as introduced (B) Revised Notice of Public Roundtable (C) Final Witness List (D) Copies of Written Testimony (E) Legal Sufficiency Determination (F) Committee Print of PR2 l-0030

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ATTACHMENT A

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington D.C. 20004

Memorandum

To:

From:

Date: January 29, 2015

Subject : Referral of Proposed Legislation

Notice is given that the attached proposed legislation was introduced in the Office of the Secretary on Tuesday, January 27, 2015. Copies are available in Room 10, the Legislative Services Division.

TITLE: "Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of2015", PR2l-0030

INTRODUCED BY: Chairman Mendelson at the request of the Mayor

The Chairman is referring this legislation to the Committee on Judiciary. This resolution will be deemed approved on Thursday, May 14, 2015 without Council action.

Attachment

cc: General Counsel Budget Director Legislative Services

MURIEL BOWSER MAYOR

--, I

. ,

' ·' .· ' .

,/A;-i ) 7 ' 'I C..'

The Honorable Phil Mendelson Chairman Council of the District of Columbia John A. Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504 Washington, DC 20004

Dear Chairman Mendelson:

Pursuant to section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law§ 2-142; D.C. Official Code§ 1-523.01), I am pleased to nominate the following person for appointment as Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services of the District of Columbia to serve at my pleasure:

Mr. Clinton T. Lacey 629 Copper Ridge Trail

Antioch, TN 37013

Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing Mr. Lacey's experience, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.

Sincerely,

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

at the request of the Mayor

A PROPOSED RESOLUTION

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

17 Chairman Phil Mendelson, at the request of the Mayor, introduced the following resolution, 18 which was referred to the Committee on

~~~~~~~~~~~~

19 20 To confirm the Mayoral appointment of Clinton Lacy as the Director of the Department of Youth 21 Rehabilitation Services of the District of Columbia. 22 23 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 24 resolution may be cited as the "Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services 25 Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of2015." 26 27 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confinns the appointment of:

28 Mr. Clinton T. Lacey 29 629 Copper Ridge Trail 30 Antioch, TN 37013 31 (Mr. Lacey will move to a District residence within 6 months of confirmation) 32 33 as the Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, established by the

34 Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Establishment Emergency Act of 2004, effective

35 December 29, 2004 (D.C. Act 15-657; 52 OCR 481), and the Department of Youth

36 Rehabilitation Services Establishment Congressional Review Emergency Act of2005, effective

37 March 17, 2005 (D.C. Act 16-58; 52 OCR ___J, and in accordance with section 2 of the

38 Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-142; D.C. Official Code§ 1-

39 523.01 ), to serve at the pleasure of the Mayor of the District of Columbia.

40 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,

41 upon its adoption, each to the nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.

42 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

CLINTON T. LACEY 642 Faraday Place, NE I Washington, DC 200171(202)341-02611 Clinton.Lacey@dc.goy

INDEPENDANT CONSULATION

• City of Hartford, CT, Office of Youth Services. Facilitated a team building retreat for key stakeholders involved in Hartford's Peace Builder Street Outreach Initiative.

• City of Hartford, CT, Office of Youth Services. Developed the Youth Violence Prevention Plan. (2007) • City of Hartford, CT, Office of Youth Services. Led high-risk youth development training workshops to a

cross-section of stakeholders, including social service administrators, social workers, teachers, street outreach workers, parents and youth. Ul!ll11

• National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NY). Led ex-offender youth development training workshops. C2006 & 2007)

• Vera Institute of justice (NY). Assisted in the development of a replication plan for the Missouri Model of Juyeni!e Corrections. L.2.Q.illll

• Vera Institute ofjustice (NY). Coordinated a series of cross-jurisdictional juvenile justice educational forums. These forums featured a series of round table discussions between juvenile justice officials and community based youth advocates. (2005)

• Traveled extensively throughout the United States and abroad, including the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Barbados delivering keynote addresses and conducting workshops on youth development, engaging high-risk youth, and violence reduction at various conferences, forums, and teach-ins.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PROBATION Deputy Commissioner

New York, NY 2011-2015

• Provided oversight and supervision of adult probation operations consisting of over 600 staff members and 25,000 clients. Assessed and engaged probation clients in comprehensive case management.·

• Directly supervised Senior Management Team responsible for managing probation clients in all five boroughs of New York City.

• Designed, implemented, and managed the Neighborhood Opportunity Network and a series of young men's initiative programs.

W, HAYWOOD BURNS INSTITUTE Senior Project Manager

San Francisco, CA 2005- 2015

• Provided oversight and consultation to local jurisdictions engaged in the Burns Institute Disproportionate Minority Confinement (DMC) reduction process which included data collection & analysis, juvenile justice system mapping. strategic targeting of racial disparities at key decision points, implementation ofreformed policies and practices, outreach to community stakeholders, and development of sustainability plans.

• Conducted racial disparity assessments based on the various factors contributing to racial disparities in local juvenile justice jurisdictions consisting of on-site interviews of justice officials and community stakeholders, data analysis, examination of local policies, and.

• Led workshops on issues confronting the juvenile justice system, such as the role of data in system reform and the value of community participation in juvenile justice policy and planning.

• Served as the Founding Board Member of the Community justice Network for Youth (CJNY), a network ofover 100 community based organizations serving court-involved youth. CjNY, a program of the W. Haywood Bums Institute, supports its network of programs by providing training, technical assistance, conferences and various other organizing and advocacy tools.

YERA INSTITUTE OF J!JSTICE Director, Youth justice Programs

New York, NY 2004- 2005

• Supervised a multi-disciplinary staff, including two Program Associates, a Program Analyst and a Program Coordinator.

• Managed contracts with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services to provide technical assistance to several counties. The assistance focused on reforming New York State laws and policies regarding the routine removal and out-of-home placement of status offenders.

• Directed a cross-jurisdictional juvenile justice learning group featuring a series of roundtable discussions between juvenile justice officials and community based youth advocates.

• Provided technical assistance to juvenile justice jurisdictions, School Safety Initiatives, and a Cross­jurisdictional juvenile justice learning groups.

FRIENDS OF ISLAND ACADEMY Associate Executive Director

New York, NY 1992-2004

As the first staffer hired at Friends of Island Academy (FOIA} in 1992, I designed and built the organizational structure. Over the course of my first eight years with FO/A, I served in various capacities and leadership roles. During my tenure I:

• Provided outreach and recruitment at Biker's Island Correctional Facility including group transitional training, intensive needs assessments, and individual pre-release case planning.

• Managed Intensive Case Management for youth transitioning out of Biker's Island Correctional Facility. • Coordinated a community-based mentoring program; provided mentor training and oversight of

mentor-youth relationships. • Oversaw educational services, including on site GED and literacy instruction, individual tutoring, and

school placement services. • Coordinated gang intervention programs featuring mediation, conflict resolution, and youth

leadership training. • Supervised a peer leadership project featuring young ex-offender's conducting workshops for "at risk"

teens at various youth serving institutions, including schools, community centers, probation departments. hospitals, and faith based institutions.

In 2000, I was promoted to Associate Executive Director. In that position, I assumed responsibility for the overall day to day functioning of FOIA's operations, programs and services:

• Directly supervised senior management staff including the Site Clinical Director, Director of Program Services and Director of Operations in areas such as case management, employment services and fiscal management.

• Directed an agency with a $2.6 million budget. • Developed a program curriculum for gang intervention and youth leadership training. • Managed grants and contracts, including a $1.5 million youthful offender demonstration grant from

the US Department of Labor, a $900,000 contract with the New York State Department of Mental Health, and several other public and private grants.

• Represented FO IA at several local. regional. and national conferences.

YO!JTH T!JRN Program Coordinator

New York, NY 2001- 2003

• Coordinated afterschool services for high-risk youth at 11 faith-based institutions in New York City. Services included mentoring, tutoring, and various cultural enrichment and development activities.

• Developed and array of program curriculums. • Staff development training, including periodic youth development workshops and staff coaching.

GROSVENOR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSES Evening Teen Program Coordinator

• Coordinated all evening services, educational services, and recreational activities.

New York, NY 1995-1997

• Supervised a multi-disciplinary staff of eight program managers. Produced monthly program reports. • Oversaw the Carrera/Dempsey Teen Pregnancy Prevention Model; delivered a comprehensive array of

youth development services including educational assistance, employment services, cultural arts, emotional well-being, individualized sports, sexual health & responsibility, culinary arts, and intensive case management services. This program provided these services to a core group of20 youth and tracked their progress over time.

• Managed the Robin Hood Foundation grant.

HUMANA/MICHAEL REESE HOSPITAL Rehabilitation Professional

Chicago, IL 1990-1992

• Corresponded with stakeholders on behalfofthe CEO, created internet marketing campaigns, wrote client contracts, and created employee schedules.

• Managed a team of 18 employees. Identified payroll and budget issues and introduced new payroll procedures using Online Payroll Software.

• Resolved and meditated all grievances from employees and clients.

RELATED SKILLS • Proficient in speaking Spanish • Certified Crisis Intervention Counselor • Advanced skills in mediation and group facilitation

EDUCATION

• HERBERT H. LEHMAN COLLEGE/CUNY - New York, NY Bachelors of Arts in History

Areas of Concentration: Latin American, Caribbean and African American Studies

• COL!JMB!A UNIVERSITY INSTIT!JTE FOR NON-PROFIT MANAGEMENT - New York, NY Certificate in Non-Profit Management

* * * W[AR[ WASHINGTON

Office of Mayor Muriel E. Bowser The John A. Wilson Building I 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW I Washington, DC 20004

Clinton Lacey Acting Director

Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services

On December 29, 2014, Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser named Clinton Lacey the next Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. In this role, Lacey will give court-involved youth the opportunity to become productive citizens in the District.

Lacey has over 25 years of experience working with youth and families - 19 of which have been focused in the field of juvenile

' and criminal justice. From 1992 to 2004, Lacey served as the Associate Executive Director of Friends oflslend Academy,

.,,, developing and managing services for 16 to 24 year olds involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems of New York City. Lacey is an experienced trainer, facilitator and keynote speaker on such issues as racial and ethnic disparity, comprehensive re­entry services, gang intervention strategies, and overall youth and human development.

Lacey has a B.A. in Latin American and Caribbean History from Herbert H. Lehman College (City University of New York) and is a graduate of the Institute for Not-for-Profit Management at Columbia University.

* * *

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor

MEMORANDUM

TO: Lolita S. Alston Director

*** --

Office of Legislative Support

FROM: Elizabeth Cavendish General Counsel Executive Office of Mayor

DATE: January 27, 2015

.-i

. '

SUBJECT: Legal Sufficiency Review ofConfinnation Resolution for Appointment of Clinton Lacey as the Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, and T ransrnittal Letter

This is tO Certify that this Office has reviewed the above-referenced Resolution and Transmittal Letter, and found it to be legally sufficient. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not hesitate to call me at 202-724-7681.

The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington. D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681

ATTACHMENT B

Council of the District of Columbia COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY REVISED NOTICE OF PUBLIC RouNDTABLE 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004

COUNCILMEMBER KENYAN R. MCDUFFIE, CHAIRPERSON COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC ROUNDTABLE ON

PR21-0047, THE "DEPUTY MAYOR FOR PuBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE KEVIN DONAHUE CONFIRMATION RESOLUTION OF 2015"

AND

PR21-0030, THE "DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH REHABILITATION SERVICES CLINTON LACEY CONFIRMATION RESOLUTION OF 2015"

Thursday, March 19, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Room 120, John A. Wilson Building

1350 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004

On Thursday, March 19, 2015, Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie, Chairperson of the Committee on the Judiciary, will hold a public roundtable to consider the nominations of Kevin Donahue as the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice and Clinton T. Lacey as the Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. The public roundtable was previously scheduled for March 5, 2015. It will be held in Room 120 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., at 10:00 a.m.

The Committee invites the public to testify or to submit written testimony, which will be made part of the official record. Anyone wishing to testify at the roundtable should contact Kate Mitchell, Committee Director, at (202) 727-8275, or via e-mail at kmitchell@dccouncil.us, and provide their name, address, telephone number, organizational affiliation, and title (if any) by close of business Monday, March 16, 2015. Representatives of organizations will be allowed a maximum of five (5) minutes for oral testimony, and individuals will be allowed a maximum of three (3) minutes. Witnesses should bring ten copies of their written testimony and, if possible, also submit a copy of their testimony electronically to kmitchell@dccouncil.us.

If you are unable to testify at the hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made part of the official record. Copies of written statements should be submitted either to the Committee on the Judiciary or to Nyasha Smith, Secretary to the Council, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 5, Washington, D.C. 20004. The record will close at the end of the business day on Tuesday, March 24, 2015.

Council of the District of Columbia COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY NOTICE OF PUBLIC ROUNDTABLE 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W., Washington, D.C. 20004

COUNCILMEMBER KENYAN R. MCDUFFIE, CHAIRPERSON COMMITIEE ON THE JUDICIARY

ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC ROUNDTABLE ON

PR21-0030, THE "DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH REHABILITATION SERVICES CLINTON LACEY CONFIRMATION RESOLUTION OF 2015"

AND

PR21-0047, THE "DEPUTYMAYORFOR PuBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE KEVIN DONAHUE CONFIRMATION RESOLUTION OF 2015"

Thursday, March 5, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Room 123, John A. Wilson Building

1350 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004

On Thursday, March 5, 2015, Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie, Chairperson of the Committee on the Judiciary, will hold a public roundtable to consider the nominations of Clinton

· T. Lacey as the Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services and Kevin Donahue as the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice. This public roundtable will be held in Room 123 of the John A Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., at 2:00 p.m.

The Committee invites the public to testify or to submit written testimony, which will be made part of the official record. Anyone wishing to testify at the roundtable should contact Kate Mitchell, Committee Director, at (202) 727-8275, or via e-mail at kmitchell@dccouncil.us, and provide their name, address, telephone number, organizational affiliation, and title (if any) by close of business Monday, March 2, 2015. Representatives of organizations will be allowed a maximum of five (5) minutes for oral testimony, and individuals will be allowed a maximum of three (3) minutes. Witnesses should bring ten copies of their written testimony and, if possible, also submit a copy of their testimony electronically to kmitchell@dccouncil.us.

If you are unable to testify at the hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made part of the official record. Copies of written statements should be submitted either to the Committee on the Judiciary or to Nyasha Smith, Secretary to the Council, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 5, Washington, D.C. 20004. The record will close at the end of the business day on Tuesday, March 10, 2015.

ATTACHMENT C

Council of the District of Columbia COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY AGENDA AND WITNESS LIST 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004

COUNCILMEMBER KENYAN R. MCDUFFIE, CHAIRPERSON

COMMl'ITEE ON THE JUDICIARY

ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC ROUNDT ABLE ON

PR21-0047, THE "DEPUTY MAYOR FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE

KEVIN DoNAHUE CONFIRMATION RESOLUTION OF 2015"

AND

PR21-0030, THE "DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH REHABILITATION SERVICES

CLINTON LACEY CONFIRMATION RESOLUTION OF 2015"

Thursday, March 19th, 2015, 10:00 a.m.

L CALL TO ORDER

D. OPENING REMARKS

ill. WITNESSES

Room 120, Jobn A. Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20004

AGENDA AND WITNESS LIST

I. PRll-0047, tbe "Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Kevin Donahue Conlirmatiou Resolution of2015

i. Public Witnesses

1. Dan T angherlini, Public Witness

2. Robert Brannum, Public Witness

3. Michael Sindram. Public Witness

ii. Nominee

I. Kevin Donahue, Nominee

2. PR21-0030, the "Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of 2015"

i. Public Witnesses

I. Marc Shindler, Executive Director, Justice Policy Institute

2. Reverend Ruben Austria, Executive Director, Community Connections for Youth

3. Tshaka Barrows, Deputy Director, W. Haywood Bums Institute

4. Tim Traylor, Local President, American Federation of Govemmeot Employees Local 0383

S. Lorenm Harrison, Public Witness

6. Michael Sindram, Public Witness

ii. Nominee

I. Clinton Lacey, Nominee

JV. ADJOURNMENT

2

ATTACHMENT D

Testimony by Marc Schindler

Executive Director, Justice Policy Institute

DC COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

JUSTICE Pell CY ~NST~TUTE

"Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of 2015",

PR21-0030 Thursday, March 19, 2015

John A. Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20004

Good morning, Chairman McDuffie and members ofthe Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony in support of the confirmation of Clinton Lacey to serve as Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.

By way of background, l have been fortunate in my career that I have had the opportunity to view the justice system from several different angles, and therefore I come to this issue today from a number of different perspectives.

Currently, I am Executive Director of the Justice Policy Institute (JPI), a national non-profit research and policy organization based in Washington, DC that is dedicated to reducing the use of incarceration and the justice system by promoting fair and effective policies.

As you are aware, I held several leadership roles within the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) between 2005 and 2010, including serving as Genera I Counsel, Chief of Staff and Interim Director. Earlier in my career, I served for five years as a public defender representing children in Baltimore's juvenile court; and eight years as a staff attorney with the Youth Law Center, where I advocated at the national and state level on issues related to conditions of confinement, racial disparities, indigent defense and other juvenile justice issues. While at the Youth Law Center I also had the honor of serving as co-chair of the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition, where I worked closely on issues related to reauthorization of the federal Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act. Prior to joining JPI, for three years I was a partner with Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP), a Washington-based philanthropic organization. While there I led VPP's Social Innovation Fund youthCONNECT initiative - a five year $40 million dollar innovative

philanthropic effort aligning public-private capital, evaluation, and high performing non-profit organizations to improve the education, employment and health outcomes of 14-24 year old disconnected youth in the Washington metro region. I have also served on the ABA Juvenile Justice

Committee, as well as the DC Juvenile Justice Advisory Group and the board of the DC Office of Police Complaints. Finally, I have been a resident of the District for almost 20 years, including the last 10 as a proud resident of Ward 5, where I live with my wife, a DC Public School Principal, and my two children.

Having helped lead DYRS and being very familiar with the District's justice system, I know first-hand

from that experience what is necessary to lead the agency and work with partners within the DC justice community.

I have talked at length with Director Lacey and I know both the organizations he has worked with and his reputation in the field. I believe he has exactly the right type of experience and background to effectively lead DYRS at this time.

Director Lacey brings the skills and experience to help move the city to the next stage in the reform process. A couple of key areas of his experience I would highlight:

• As a former Executive Director of Friends of Island Academy, he developed and managed services for youth of the age that DYRS serves in this city (teens and older youth), and is familiar with the challenges nonprofit organizations sometimes have in working to serve this population.

• As a former staffer with the Vera Institute of Justice - one of the leading criminal justice research organizations in the country-he worked to use data and research to solve public safety and youth development challenges for nonprofits and government systems.

• As a Project Manager with the Burns Institute, Mr. Lacey had an opportunity to engage with all the stakeholders in the juvenile justice process, including working with community-based nonprofit organizations to develop strategies to serve more young people in the communities they are from, and on strategies to drill down and reduce bias in the juvenile justice system.

• As the Deputy Commissioner for adult operations at the New York City Department of Probation, he had responsibility for oversight of a division that supervises some 27,000 clients on probation (including young adults under their supervision). This includes, building consensus-driven policy change with the judiciary, district_ attorneys, public defenders, police and nonprofits that together are reforming NYC's practices to see more services and supports occurring in the boroughs and communities where people on probation are from.

In short, Director Lacey has demonstrated that he can manage a large public agency of DYRS' size and complexity, has successfully served this population in New York City agencies and nonprofits, has the ability to work with all the stakeholders to solve public safety and youth development challenges, and I

know is deeply committed to having our youth being served by the system to meet their full potential, and thereby create safer communities in the District.

The next Director of DYRS will have to help the city and its partners to continue and strengthen the reforms that are already in place, as well as, navigate a set of challenges that take any system time to overcome.

The next Director of DYRS will have to work to refine and build on DC YouthLink to increase the

number of youth served in the community and ensure that they receive appropriate and quality supports and services. Along those lines, the next Director should be prepared to further reduce the number of youth placed out of the District, and I think can be helpful in developing strategies to help the city serve young people, more effectively, induding by not housing youth in adult correctional facilities and ensuring a safe setting in DC' s courts while not relying on automatic shackling of youth.

I'm confident that Clinton Lacey has the skills and experience DYRS needs at this time to effectively lead the agency into the future.

Chairman McDuffie, thanks for your consideration of my testimony and perspective. I also want to thank Mayor Bowser for bringing someone with Mr. Lacey's skills and experience to D.C.

Thank you for your time today and I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

Testimo1f)I Submitted to the

The Committee on the Judiciary Public Roundtable of the Council of the District of Columbia

Public Round/able

March 19, 2015

IO:OOAM

For

PR21-0030, THE "DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH REHABILll'ATION SERVICES CLINTON LACEY CONFIRMATION RESOLUTION OF 2015"

By

Rev. Ruben S. Austria

Executive Director

Community Connections for Youth, Inc.

369 E. 14l)lh Street, 1" Floor

Bronx, NY 10455

(118) 590-0940

This testimony is submitted to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Council of District

of Columbia in support of the appointment of Clinton Lacey as Director of the Division of Youth

Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). My name is Ruben Austria and I am the Executive Director of

Community Connections for Youth (CCFY), Inc., a Bronx-based non-profit organization whose

mission is to empower grassroots faith and neighborhood organizations to develop effective

community-driven alternatives to incarceration for youth. CCFY is a leading national expert on

building community capacity for juvenile justice reform, which we define as a structured and

intentional process that involves training and equipping the stakeholders most affected by youth

crime and delinquency (youth, families, and neighborhood organizations) to be primary

responders to youthful misbehavior. We consider community capacity building to include three

essential components, whlch are: (a) bringing the resources of directly affected cOl!llllunities to

bear on the most challenging juvenile justice populations; (h) sttengthening the ability oflocal

communities to take care of youth in their neighborhoods; and (c) developing meaningful

collaborative partnerships between juvenile justice system and community stakeholders. We

work directly with youth and families in the juvenile justice system in our own South Bronx

neighborhood, providing direct services as a community-based diversion to fonnal juvenile

justice system processing. We also provide training and technical assistance on both a local and

national scale, facilitating partnerships between juvenile justice agencies and grassroots

neighborhood organizations that increase the capacity of jurisdictions to keep youth safely at

home by connecting them to local community resources.

I have known Clinton Lacey for over 15 years and worked with him in several different

professional capacities, all related to serving youth in the juvenile justice system. In my

testimony today, I am strongly urging you to confirm his nomination as Director of the Division

of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). I would like to briefly expound upon three reasons

why Clinton Lacey is a superb choice to lead this agency. These three reasons are: (a) his

professional experience; (b) his innovative leadership; and (c) his personal character.

Let me begin with his professional experience. I first got to know Clinton Lacey when he

was serving as the Associate Executive Director of a groundbreaking non-profit organization in

New York City: Friends of Island Academy (FOIA). It was the late 1990s and I was just

beginning my career working with system-involved youth in the Bronx. I was working at a small

grassroots, faith-based non-profit organization in the South Bronx that was seeking to develop

community-based alternatives to incareeration for youth, and I was very much in need of

guidance on how to develop programming that would meet the needs of disconnected young

people, while still assuring the court system that reasonable supervision was in place to keep

young people safely at home. Let me remind you that this was the late 1990s. It was the era of

the juvenile "super-predatcr," a now-debunked myth that had scared the entire nation into

believing that only incarceration could protect us from a generation of predatory children. We

were in Giuliani' s New York, where policing, prosecution and prison were the first responses to

youthful misbehavi01. It was a point in time when few believed that young people in the juvenile

justice system, particularly young people of color fiom the most distressed urban neighborhoods,

were redeemable. For many, these children were the throwaway, lock away generation destined

to spend the rest of their life in prison, if they even made it to adulthood.

Yet in the midst of this general pessimism, a bright spot of home emerged. Friends of

Island Academy was succeeding at bringing home young people incarcerated at Rikers Island,

and not only keeping them from re-offending, but launching them into healthy and productive

futures. Friends oflsland Academy had GED classes, job training and placement programs,

mental health services - but more than that, Friends had built a culture of positive peer support,

where formerly incarcerated young people engaged their peers in the harder work of changing

attitudes, beliefs, and values, and overcoming the culture of street life in which many were

immersed. It was a program that was successful in reintegrating New Y 01k City's most

challenging young people back into society, and quickly became a model for anyone looking to

make a real difference with adolescents who were justice-system involved.

Like many yowig professionals looking to make an impact on youth in the juvenile

justice system, I was drawn to Friends of Island Academy. As I began to inquire about the secret

of their success, all roads pointed to Clinton Lacey. Being the humble individual that he is,

Clinton would never take the credit for himself, as he is always the type of person to speak about

what "we" collectively accomplish. But every single person I spoke to gave Clinton Lacey credit

for the developments at Friends oflsland Academy. What began with Clinton's outreach directly

to youth incarcerated at Rikers Island led to a post-release mentoring group, the creation of a job

training program, the development of a GED program, the start of a peer leadership program, and

so many other developments that so many people attribute directly to his leadership. It is not

smprising that many non-profit leaders working with court-involved youth in New York City.

can trace their professional development back to partnering with Friends of Island Academy, and

more specifically to the advice, guidance, mentoring and support of Clinton Lacey, who was

always extremely generous with sharing his wisdom, knowledge and expertise with anyone and

everyone seeking to rebuild the village of community support around young people who bad

come into conflict with the law.

After 12 years at Friends of Island Academy, Clinton moved on to serve as the Director

of the Youth Justice Program at the Vera Institute of Justice, where he oversaw teclmical

assistance to reform New York's juvenile justice system. In 2006, Clintoo went to work at the W.

Haywood Bums Institute, helping jurisdictions across the United States address racial and ethnic

disparities in juvenile justice. While this important work took him out ofNew York City, it only

magnified his impact on the broader movement to reduce disproportionate minority confinement

(DMC) in the juvenile justice system, and increase the role of community partners in serving,

supporting, and supervising youth as an alternative to incarceration. Clinton continued in his role

as an ambassador for the Community Justice Network for Youth (CJNY), an initiative of the W.

Haywood Bums Institute, of which he was a founding member. In this role, he would bring

numerous community partners - including many who bad once had hostile and contentious

relationships with juvenile justice agencies - into genuine collaboration with the public agencies

that serve system-involved youth.

In 2011, Clinton returned to New York City to serve as the Deputy Commissioner for

Adult Services for the NYC Department of Probation, where he responsible for the supervision

of25,000 Probationers. May I remind you that New York, unfortunately, remains one of only

two states in the nation where the age of criminal responsibility is sixteen. 1bis means that the

majority of young people in New York's justice system are on adult, rather than juvenile,

supervision. In New York, Clinton was responsible for the supervision of7,500 adolescents,

aged 16 to 24 year olds, including over 1,000 probationers under the age of 18. While at the

NYC Department of Probation, Clinton played a leading role in advancing several key priorities

of the Department's strategic plan to reintegrate Probation with the community. The first among

these was the NeONs (or Neighborhood Opportunity Networks), which relocated Probation staff

at community sites, and transformed Probation offices into community centers that provided a

variety of services including GED classes, arts programming, career development, family

support, and other innovations that have dramatically increased the engagement of individuals on

Probation, while simultaneously reducing reoffending and violations of Probation. During this

period of time, felony re-arrests of individuals on Probation dropped by 13%, Probation

violations dropped by 34o/o, and revocations of Probation leading to incarceration dropped by

38%, demonstrating that a more humane and community-centered approach to working with

people on Probation actually enhances public safely.

Another key development was the implementation of the ARCHES Transformative

MenJoring Intervention, an initiative that provides mentoring for some 800 adolescents on

Probation annually. The truly groundbreaking aspect of this intervention is that the services are

contracted out to 19 community-based organizations that hire "credible messengers" - men and

women from the same neighborhoods as the youth, many of who are formerly incarcerated. This

initiative as well has played a key role in making communities safer, and ensuring that young

people have the neighborhood-level support to stay crime-free and move in the direction of

education and employment. CCFY has been privileged to serve as a contracted training and

technical assistance provider for NY C's Department of Probation for this initiative, providing

training for community partners and mentors, and assisting Probation in maximizing its

collaboration with the community. In doing so, we have worked even more closely with Clinton

and bis team to help these projects come to fruition. Once again, I have seen bow his thoughtful

and principled leadership has turned vision into reality, transforming New York City's Probation

Department.

I also commend Clinton Lacey for his innovative leadership. As I mentioned earlier, the

innovation behind Friends oflsland Academy's groundbreaking aftercare model for youth

coming home from Rikers Island sprang from Clinton's leadership. The growth of the

Community Justice Network for Youth (CJNY), which rallied youth-serving community

organizations across the nation to engage the juvenile justice system on behalfof young people

sprang from Clinton's leadership. The work of moving Probation into the community through the

NeONs, and recruiting formerly incarcerated individuals to mentor youth, sprang from Clinton's

leadership.

There is something very special about Clinton Lacey's leadership. In includes many of

the hallmarks of effective leaders, like excellence, execution, and innovation. But what really

stands out about Clinton's leadership is his ability to get so many people on board with doing the

right thing for young people. Time and time again, I have seen Clinton bring people together in

ways once thought impossible. It is one thing to bring together natural allies, or people that have

similar self-interests, but Clinton has the special gift of bringing together natural adversaries to

work together for a higher pmpose. Back when he was at Friends oflsland Academy, Clinton

was forming partnerships between competing service providers and grassroots commwrity

leaders to develop joint programming for youth. At the New York City Department of Probation,

he was bringing civic leaders, who at one time protested the relocation of Probation offices in

their neighborhoods, on board with the city's plan to reintegrate the Department with the

community. He was bringing rehabilitated, formerly incarcerated individuals together with their

former Probation Officers to jointly offer guidance to youth currently on Probation.

It is this ability to get individuals from all walks of lives to work together in genuine

partnership that truly makes him stand out as a leader. There are many people who can achieve

their goals by the force of their will, or by bullying their opponents, threatening their

subordinates, or manipulating their allies. There are leaders whose effectiveness comes from

their willingness to run over anyone who won't get on the bus. Clinton's leadership makes

people actually want to get on the bus with him. And as a result, the bus can go places where it

normally couldn't go, because people who might have blocked the bus, sabotaged it, or held it up,

are actually getting on board with his transformati ve vision. What I've seen Clinton Lacey

accomplish, like no other leader, is getting the people he works with truly invested in the work of

transforming juvenile justice to the extent that they continue the good work he started even after

he leaves. Those of us who work for juvenile justice reform know that there are some agency

staff who are jaded by the merry-go-round of appointed leaders. They don't think much of the

lofty rhetoric that comes from a new commissioner, because they assume that the day to day

functioning of the agency will be business as usual. Such was the case in New York City, where

many doubted whether this grand vision of reintegrating Probation with the community was just

a new spin on the same old way of doing business. What has happened in New York City has

been truly remarkable, because the vision articulated by Clinton and his counterparts has gone

far beyond a few smart and charismatic people at the executive level. It's spread and permeated

down through middle management and line staff. It's spread to commwrity partners who once

mistrusted Probation so thoroughly they could barely stand to be in the same room. It's gotten to

the point where Probation Officers really have a whole new way of interacting with clients and

with the community that makes them happier, confident and CKcited about doing their jobs. It's

made young people on Probation show up at these neighborhood centers when they don't have to

- and bring their friends with them. And while everyone collectively owns this transfonnation,

the common thread tying them together is Clinton Lacey, who so many identify as the leader

who inspired, motivated, coaches, reasoned with, problem-solved, and managed the people who

needed to get on board to make this vision a reality.

Finally, I want to say a few words about bis personal character. Clinton Lacey is a good

guy. He's supremely ethical in the way that he treats bis job and the people he works with.

'There's a deep consistency between the values he espouses in bis career, and the way he

conducts himself in his personal life. One thing you won't find in his background is any hint of

scandal, impropriety, or inapproprialc conduct. You won't find a pattern of bad departures, or

burned bridges. You won't find a trail of bruised and broken individuals. You won't find

accusations of shady dealings or abuses of power. Instead you will find people who are

genuinely grateful, inspired, and made better from having worked with and for Clinton Lacey.

I want to tell you one story that perfectly illustrates who Clinton Lacey is. A few weeks

ago I was speaking with a Probation Officer who works directly with youth at the Bronx NeON.

I asked him if he knew that Clinton was moving to Washington DC to take on the position of

Director with the Division of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). The Probation Officer did

in fact know and was sorry to see him go, like many of us in New York, who are still

experiencing the benefits of how he has revolutionized Probation's approach to working with the

community. Here's what this Probation Officer said to me:

"I knew Clinton was taking the DC job because he actually cam• up to our office to say

goodbye to us. Do you knuw that this is the first time in my whole career working as a Probation

Officer that a Commissioner has ever come to say goodbye? I've seen them come and go, but he

was the first one who ever came in person to tell us and lo spend some time with us before he

left."

j

Clinton repeated this act, not only with the Probation Officers at the Bronx NeON, but

with program coordinators from the ARCHES Mentoring Initiative, community mentors, and

even with young people. This is emblematic of who he is: a leader who is effective in advancing

his innovations because he genuinely cares about people and takes the time to develop

relationships that motivate them to follow him. He sees the best in people, and makes room for

everyone to offer wbatever it is they bring to the work of making our communities safe and

making sure our yo1mg people are supported. It's not an act, a technique, or a performance, but a

core part of who he is.

This is why I am sure, that Clinton Lacey's leadership will have a transformative effect

on the District of Columbia's juvenile justice system. l have every reason to believe that the

results that have followed him throughout his career - the enhancement of collaboration between

system and community folks, the enthusiasm and motivation of agency personnel, and the

resultant decreases in crime and betterment of life outcomes for youth-will be replicated here in

the District of Colwnbia. And for those reasons, I urge the Committee on the Judiciary to

approve the appointment of Clinton Lacey as Director of the Division of Youth Rehabilitation

Services (DYRS).

THEW. HA YWOOO BURNS INSTITUTE For Juvenile Justice Fairness and Equity 475 J41

h St.• Suite 800 •Oakland. CA 94612 Tel (415) 321-4100 •Fax (415) 321-4140 • www.bumsinstitute.ort1

To whom it may concern:

I am the Deputy Director of the W. Haywood Burns Institute, a national non-profit organization focused on addressing racial and ethnic disparities within the youth justice system. The Burns Institute has been around for over 12 years, I have been there the entire time, and we have worked in over 100 jurisdictions nationwide. We analyze data and work with community and system stakeholders to identify policies and practices that contribute to disparities. We facilitate a collaborative process that includes the voices or both traditional and non-traditional stakeholders to identify a target population, policy and/or practice to address that will lead to reductions in racial and ethnic disparities. We also coordinate the Community Justice Network for Youth (C]NY) a national network or 200 community based organizations working to "Stop the Rail to Jail".

I met Clinton Lacey while he was working at Friends of the Island Academy where he facilitated the transition of young people out of Rikers Island back into their communities within the five New York City boroughs. His unique style of leadership was easy for me to see and the evidence was that all of the staff and the young people spoke so highly of him and with such respect and admiration. Clinton is a real people person, and his ability to connect as well as his propensity to listen led us to recruit him to work at the Burns Institute.

We hired Clinton to the position of Site Manager where he was responsible for leading jurisdictions nationally through the process I described. Clinton excelled as a Site Manager commanding both a strong understanding of the youth justice system as well as a comfort with the various leadership styles of the people involved. Clinton also provided technical assistance to several jurisdictions involved in the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative or the Annie E. Casey Foundation; his expert knowledge of the juvenile justice system was an asset felt by all stakeholders involved.

Clinton moved on to become the Deputy Commissioner of New York City Probation where he played a central role in the creation of the Neighborhood Opportunity Network (NEON). I had the privilege of taking two different delegations on tours of the NEONs and both times Clinton's leadership was seriously praised by his staff and the community partners. With Clinton you get a leader who understands that the people he works with have value, their voices are important to him because he believes in collaboration. Clinton has the vision and the experience to provide the type of direction that will lead your jurisdiction towards excellence; as you think about the youth and their families excellence is the goal. It is with great honor that I give my recommendation for Clinton Lacy as you consider him for this important role within your system.

Thank you for your time, Tshaka Barrows Deputy Director W. Haywood Burns Institute

Timothy Traylor President

American Federation of Government Employees Affiliat.d with the AFL-ClO

Kenn£th Pitts Vice President

Local 383

Lynea Cooper Chief Shop Steward

Julia "Scotti" Matthews LaTryce Hilliard Treasurtr Secretary

Testimony before the Councll of the District of Columbia

Committee on the Judiciary

On

PR 21-0030, the "Director oft he Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of 2015"

Presented by Timothy Traylor,

President

March 19, 2015

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 34296, Washington, DC 20043 I Phone: (l02) 341-4410

Karen Hemphill Sgt. of Arms

Good Morning Chairman McDuffie and members of the Committee on the Judiciary, my name is

Tim Traylor and I am Pre•ldent of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Local 383.1

appreciate the opportunity to present testimony in support of the "Director of the Department of Youth &

Rehabilitation Services Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of 2015." As you know AFGE Local 383 is a

non-profit Labor Organization representing employees within the Committed Services, Case Management

and Health Services Divisions. These employees are responsible for planning, coordinating, Implementing

and directing all DYRS direct service programs so that young offenders have an opportunity to become

more productive citizens by building on the strengths of youth in the least restrictive, most homelike

environment settings.

On March 3, 2015 representatives from AFGE Local 383 and front line staff had an opportunity to

meet with Director Lacey in an effort to introduce him to our team, discuss our role as a Labor partner and

to learn about his background as a juvenile justice professional. Although we were scheduled to engage in

a 30 minute Introductory meeting, our discussion lasted well over an hour. We learned that Director Lacey

has served in various juvenile justice posts over the past two decades, rising through the ranks, from youth

advocate to Associate Executive Director for Friends of Island Academy. His work has led to the

Implementation of reformed policies, ongoing engagement with youth advocates, outreach to community

stakeholders, as well as the development and management of sustainable services for youth and young

adults Involved in juvenile and criminal ju•tice systems around the Nation. What Impressed me the most

during our brief meeting was Director Lacey's pas.ion for the work to be done around juvenile justice, his

heartfelt pas.ion for people and his expressed value toward working collectively to revive what he called

•a healthy breathing organism."

We briefly discussed pitfalls from the past including the unsustainable "management by fear"

tactics; a blatant disregard for collective bargaining and a declining employee morale at all levels of the

organization. These actions have collectively forced AFGE Local 383 to file a number of legal actions

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 34296, Washington, DC 200431 Phone: (202) 341-4410

against DYRS. Excessive reliance on litigation for resolving workplace disputes is not how we would like to

operate, however the management style coupled with the anti-union behaviors of the previous

administration resulted to open refusal to work cooperatively with labor organizations as a long term

stakeholder and partner could not be overlooked. In response to city council's question regarding the

volume of litigation across the city, the Office of labor Relations and Collective Bargaining reported that

for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, DYRS topped the list of all District agencies for Its volume of labor

litigation cases. This figure Is particularly troubling given the smaller workforce compared to larger

agencies with significantly more employees and labor partners. These statistics also remind me of the East

African proverb, "When elephants fight it Is the grass that suffers." As employees of the District, the

Union's membership wants to work with management to provide the best services possible to citizens of

the District.

I support the confirmation of Director Lacey. His position includes the critical responsibility of

leading, planning, administering and directing the District's Juvenile Justice System. I am pleased to know

that he realizes these duties cannot be solely carried out as an individual but through a workforce that Is

equally dedicated to achieving the best continuum of care for court-involved youth. The District wlll

benefit from an experienced leader who understands both the needs of our juvenile justice system and the

needs of working families. His view through this lens will help to address rising Juvenile recidivism, better

protection for the public and Improved interpersonal relationships within DYRS. I look forward to the

opportunity to work with Director Lacey on our mutual goals and shared vision.

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to support the Director's confirmation. I am happy to

answer any questions you may have.

Malling Address: P.O. Box 34296, Washington, DC 200431 Phone: (202) 341-4410

STATEMENT OF LORENZO D. HARRISON

ON BEHALF OF CLINTON LACEY, NOMINEE FOR DIRECTOR

OF YOUTH REHABILITATION SERVICES IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

CONFIRMATION HEARING BEFORE THE WASHINGTON, D.C. CITY COUNCIL

March 19, 2015

Good morning Mr. Chairman, distinguished members of the Committee, fellow participants,

and attendees. It brings me great pleasure to testify before you this morning on behalf of

Clinton Lacey and your consideration of him as the next Director of the Department of Youth

Rehabilitation Services for the City of Washington, D.C. I'd like to thank Mayor Bowser for

nominating Mr. Lacey. It's difficult for me to see how she could have made a better choice.

Mr. Lacey has been working on the kind of issues that drive DYRS for practically his entire

working life. He and I both worked most of our adult careers in New York City in what I

affectionately refer to as the 'helping professions' and I am honored when I hear Clinton say I

have functioned, in some ways, like a mentor to him.

In the 90's and early part of the new millennium, he served as the 'second in command' at a

brilliant organization called Friends of Island Academy, that demonstrated how sophisticated

therapeutic techniques of engagement could be molded for hard core youth attempting to

transition home from Rikers Island, one of the most stringent penal institutions in America. He,

along with colleagues at 'Friends', found out well before many of the rest of us that quality re­

entry interventions begin well before a young man or woman comes home from being

incarcerated.

I witnessed his work with youth who possessed a fundamental lack of trust in anyone, more less

the system. Back then he may have been only In his twenties, but I watched in amazement at

how he commanded dinical skills usually reserved for PhDs some years his senior, as he broke

through the seemingly impenetrable emotional walls, that sometime incarcerate a teenager or

young person way more than any cement wall can, and make progress and create just a little

light or ray of hope upon which he could build the next day. Having redeemed my own life as a

troubled youth and served in various capacities in [os I said earlier] the helping professions for

more than 30 years, I can tell you, Mr. Chairman, It is rare to find a professional the caliber of

Mr. Lacey. He is someone who possesses real knowledge about what works, the kind of

knowledge that can only be acquired from hands-on experience In the trenches and watching

lives being transformed on a consistent basis. It's called practitioner expertise. And Mr. Lacey

l

has it! He combines this quality with a considerable capacity for understanding complex policy,

organization, administration, management, results and leadership. In addition to his

experience on the front lines for more than a decade at 'Friends of Island Academy', he

acquired these traits at the Vera Institute, W. Haywood Burns Institute and at the New York City

Department of Probation, where I also worked with him briefly along with the highly respected

former OYRS Director Vincent Schiraldi on the Mayor Bloomberg's $127 million Young Men's

Initiative. As you know, New York's Young Men's Initiative was multi-faceted; focused on

positively impacting health, education, employment and criminal justice outcomes for youth

and young adults.

Clinton's work at the Probation Department helped establish the department as an innovator

and think tank for sparking Implementation of best practices across the Bloomberg

administration, such as Ban The Box, an initiative adopted in New York to help rollback the

stigma that can negatively impact hiring decisions when young returning citizens are unfairly

taken out of the running for a job that they are qualified for simply because they have 'paid

their debt to society'. The Mayor issued an executive order, precluding any municipal agency,

except for law enforcement agencies, from asking about arrests and convictions on initial job

applications.

Another example of the kind of innovative programming that Clinton helped champion and

oversee Is the Neighborhood Opportunity Networks (NeONs), which is a community-based

framework for delivering probation services in New York City. One example of the numerous

innovations deployed by NEON Is NeON Arts, which offers young probationers arts education

and training sponsored by Carnegie Hall. NEON focuses its services on youth in Bedford

Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Harlem, South Jamaica, Staten Island and the South Bronx. Next

Tuesday on March 24 at Carnegie Hall participants from the South Bronx NeON site will display

their talents featuring music, film and poetry. Imagine how transforming it can be for a young

person who is beginning to take responsibility for his or her bad decisions in life to now be

given a chance to believe in themselves. Now, I don't know if a program like the one Mr. Lacey

helped create in New York already exist here in D.C., but that's not the point. My point is that

you do have a candidate for the Director of DYRS that is imaginative and can perhaps help

improve the programming here and take on some of the most important challenges in a

creative way. And in case I, or my fellow speakers have not said enough about Mr. Lacey, Mr.

Chairman, I have one last point to make.

After Clinton asked that I consider making a statement on his behalf before this esteemed

committee, I asked myself, how is it that he has arrived here? And It occurred to me, that his

upbringing had a lot to do with it. You see, I've known Mr. Lacey, or known of him, for more

than 40 years. We grew up in the same town. His older sister and I graduated from the same

2

high school. His parents were, and his Mom still is, revered in Teaneck, New Jersey to this day.

To know the legacy of Mr. Lacey's parents and his family is to know he was born to be a public

servant. His parents were trailblazers in the Civil Rights Movement, members of the Dexter

Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama when Doctor King arrived there in 1954,

meeting with him and other leaders nightly at the church during the legendary Montgomery

Bus Boycott. His grandmother was a friend of Rosa Parks. So, we can only imagine the depths

of discussion that were held around the Lacey dinner table during the days when the nominee

was coming up. But we do know that they had a positive Impact on his development and the

commitment to public service we find here in his candidacy to be the next DYRS Director is in

no small way a result.

Thanks so much for listening to me. I hope my comments have assisted you with making your

decision. If there are no questions, that will conclude my testimony. Thanks Mr. Chairman.

3

Introduction

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH REHABILITATION SERVICES

* * * W'f. AR'f.

oc Testimony of

Clinton Lacey, Acting Di"ctor Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services

Conrumation Hearing Committee on the Judiciary

March 5, 2015

Good morning Chainnan McDuffie and members of the Judiciary Committee. For the record, I am Clinton

Lacey, Acting Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee today. I would also like to thank Mayor Bowser

for appointing me to lead this agency and Deputy Mayor Donald for her leader.ihip and guidance. The

opportunity to serve as Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services is one that just ten yeBIS

ago would not have been possible. I say this because ten years ago DYRS did not exist. Nationally, court-

involved youth were an afterthought in the larger criminal justice system, being treated similarly to adults, and

the District was no different. The creation ofDYRS as an executive IC\'el agency was a significant milestone in

refonning the District's juvenile justice system, speaking volumes to the District's commitment to our youth.

My career progression, working on both the policy and the operations side of juvenile justice, has prepared me

to lead this agency and continue this important work.

Transfonning a juvenile justice system is not a challenge 1D1ique to the District, and it is one that I have worked

towards in several capacities. Early in my career, I served as Associate Executive Director of the Friends of

Island Academy, dC\'eloping and managing services for 16 to 24-year-olds involved in the juvenile and criminal

justice systems of New York City. The prevailing mindset was that if we were just tougher on these kids then

they would straighten up and fly right. Anecdotally, my colleagues and I knew this was an ineffective approach

with minimal positive results. And this realization was permanently imprinted on me by one of my first

experiences in this field.

In 1992, one of the first young people I worked with was Alex. He was a tough 16-year-old Latino young man

from the South Bronx, returning to the community after spending a year in jail. When we first met, he had a

fledgling sense of hope, and a long list of challenges that he did not believe he could overcome. He did,

however, know that he never wanted to return to jail. One thing was clear; he desperately needed help. You see,

Alex was illiterate in both English and Spanish, and had not been to school in over two years. He had anger

management issues, and had never held a legitimate job, but had "worked" as a look out guard for a crack

house. There was still a bullet lodged in his leg, from a rival gang, for which he never received the proper

follow up treatment He slept on a couch in his mother's small subsidized apartment, which also housed his

sister and her three children. Alex, feeling hopeless, was being wooed back into the life of drug dealing.

In Alex I began to see what I would see countless more times - a growing list of serious challenges !hat stood

as barriers to his chances of staying alive, and free of further involvement in the justice system. In his story

there was an array of issues present:

• Housing;

• Healthcare;

• Mental health issues;

• Employment;

2

• Education;

• The need for positive peers; and

• The need for engaging the family by providing necessary supports.

But it was from these issues Alex faced that we began building our 01ganization. We took our cue from Alex as

to what services and opportunities we would provide. And over the course of a few years, we were able to build

an organization going from two staff, serving only a handful of young people, to a staff of over 2S, annually

responsible for over 300 youth and families. But the key lesson I took away from this formative experience is

that if we listen, the young people we serve will tell us exactly what they need. And they rely upon us to be

responsive 1o those needs in a helpful and respectful manner. I have never forgotten this lesson and I have never

forgotten Alex and the thousands of young people he represents. I believe that there is a way to reach our young

people, even the most troubled of them, and this is what Tam commiued to doing.

After my experience at Friends of Island Academy, I was offered the opportunity to join the Vera Institute of

Justice and affect policy on a more macro level. This was not an easy decision to make, leaving behind an

organization I helped build from the ground up. But knowing it was in good hands provided me the peace of

mind needed to become the Director of the Youth Justice Program at Vera. In this capacity, I oversaw a project

focusing on the reform of New York State's juvenile justice policies. These policies were used as a model for

national best-practices to b.elp reform agencies around the country. This role also gave me a different

perspective - it afforded me the opportunity to expand from the provision of direct services to actually

transfonning systems.

A few weeks ago at our oversigb.t hearing, T heard Mr. Okonlcwo from DC Lawyers for Youth discuss the need

to have more transparency and open communication with the agency. This deeply resonated with me because

I've been in his position. The work Mr. Okonkwo and bis colleagues in the advocate community do is work that

I have done. I understand the importance of these stakeholders. Without people like them and grassroots

supporters, an agency like DYRS - singularly dedicated to serving our young people - could not have been

established I 0 years ago.

3

After my experience at the Vera Institute, I wanted to work with different jurisdictions around the country. This

led me to the W. Haywood Bums Institute. Here, I focused on addressing racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in

local juvenile justice systems, issues that I see reflected in the DYRS demographic.

In 2011, my career had come full circle to those early days of serving young people like Alex. I returned back to

New York City as Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Probation, and was responsible for the

supervision of over 24,000 clients, 8,000 being of comparable age to the DYRS population. The work we did at

the Vera Institute and the Bums Institute was now being implemented and embraced in New York and beyond.

Our probation officers left their downtown courthouse offices, and were redeployed into the communities where

our client's lived. This afforded us an opportunity to engage families and build relationships by working

alongside both traditional and non-traditional leaders, in an effort to build communities. This community-based

approach resulted in a 25% decrease in recidivism for those young people under my supervision. I could now

quantify to our stakeholders how a system focused on community engagement could directly enhance the lives

of our young people, while improving public safety.

There has long been a debate about being "hard" on crime or "soft" on crime. I've never agreed with either

approach. My philosophy is to be "smart" on crime by engaging the community and being data-driven when

utilizing resources. I outlined several important priorities during our annual performance oversight hearing

several weeks ago. 1 will state them again today:

I. Focusing on trauma informed care by treating our youth's behavioral health and socio-<imotional well-

being;

II. Continuing and enhancing investments in community partnerships;

lll. Ensuring our programs are aligned with best practices and are evidenced-based;

IV. Reducing the use of out-of-state placements;

V. Expanding the agency's data-driven decision making;

VI. Increasing our transparency and accountability to not only the community, but also to our staff; and

lastly

VII. Developing our staff to be the next leaders in the juvenile justice field.

4

The work being done here is promising, especially by our dedicated and often unrecognized front-line staff.

They're the ones really driving our rehabilitative efforts, so what's ofutmost importance is improvement of staff

morale and the professional development opportunities afforded to them. To be clear, my primary concern will

always be what's best for our young people, but to achieve this, our staff must be provided the knowledge and

skill-set to be leaders in this field. This is done by continually improving the agency's overall organizational

culture and health. The DYRS Establishment Act requires us to develop and maintain ongoing training

opportunities to ensure our employees' development and expertise in the juvenile justice field, and this is an

immediate focus of mine.

This is my sixth full week here, so while this is not enough time for me to fully implement these priorities; it is

enough time for me to have assessed the state of the agency.

It is •PParent that prior to my arrival, hard work and a concentrated effort went into implementing the Positive

Youth Justice framework. I believe in this framework. However, in order to get the most out of DYRS, there are

other areas that we need to address immediately.

One area I am focusing on is improving and enhancing our data collection and analysis to support decision­

making. One of my core beliefs is using evidence-based approaches and making decisions based on sound data.

So, while a plan is in place, implementation needs to be fundamentally understood at every level of the agency.

This is an issue I've dealt with in previous experiences. The keys to achieving complete organizational buy-in

were properly training staff on expectations, and showing people how this consistent approach directly leads to

improvement in both work product and, more importantly, rehabilitation.

We also need to immediately become a more trauma-informed care agency. In my personal experience, and

supported by research, you see that addressing the root cause of our young people's problems maximizes their

chance of success. If this isn't done then we risk wasting an opportunity to truly reach them, regardless of how

many services they receive.

To accomplish this, we need to strategically allocate every resource at our disposal efficiently end effectively.

We are currently in the unique position to provide every young person wraparound treatment for the duration of

their commitment, and if needed, beyond.

5

Chainnan McDuffie, you recently wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post about some of the young people you

knew who shared similar experiences to Alex, that young man I met back in 1992. I am committed to working

with our sister agencies, the Council, and our community partners to enhance the good worl< that is already

being done and to develop new solutions focused on improving outcomes for the District's court-involved

youth.

In closing, it would be an honor to serve as Director of DYRS and to lead the agency as we continue to reform

and develop the District's juvenile justice system.

Thank you and I look forward to answering any questions you may have.

6

ATTACHMENT E

OFFl<'F; OF THE Glo:NERAL COC~SEL l 'oun,·1l uf Lhc l>11otnct 11f(',;Juntb1.1

l.l')f) l'e111u.,·lv:uu.11\\emw !\W Sult•• I \V1~mt.ri1111 ric !.uoot

l:!tr.!1 ;:!. I !W:.!6

MEMORANDUM

TO: Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie

FROM:

DATE:

RE:

John Hoellen. Acting General Counsel /J1I--March 30, 2015

Legal Sufficiency Determination for Proposed Resolution 21-30, the Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of 2015

---------·----·--·--- --·------------- --The measure is legally and technically sufficient for Council consideration.

Proposed Resolution 21-30 confirms the appointment of Mr. Clinton T. Lacey as the Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, established b~· section 102 of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Establishment Act of2004, effective April 12, 2005 (D.C. Law 15-335: D.C. Official Code§ 2-15J!'i.02), in accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 {D.C. Law 2-142; D.C. Official Code§ 1-523.01). If confirmed, Mr. Lacey would serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.

I nm available if you have any queAtions.

ATTACHMENT F

1 Committee Print 2 PR21-0030 3 Committee on the Judiciary 4 March 30, 2015 5 6 7 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 8 9 21-0030

10 11 12

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

13 14 15 16 To confirm the Mayoral appointment of Mr. Clinton Lacey as the Director of the Department of 17 Youth Rehabilitation Services. 18 19 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this

20 resolution may be cited as the "Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services

21 Clinton Lacey Confirmation Resolution of2015".

22 23 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of: 24 25 Mr. Clinton T. Lacey 26 642 Faraday Place, N.E. 27 Washington, D.C. 20017 28 (Ward 5) 29

30 as the Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, established by section I 02 of

31 the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Establishment Act of 2004, effective April 12,

32 2005 (D.C. Law 15-335; D.C. Official Code§ 2-1515.02), and in accordance with section 2 of

33 the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-142; D.C. Official Code §

34 1-523.01), to serve at the pleasure of the Mayor of the District of Columbia.

35

36 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,

37 upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.

38

39 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.