Post Reports Serving ‘dead time’
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Jun 11, 2025 
Nicole Dungca, an investigative reporter for The Washington Post, sheds light on the troubled state of D.C.'s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. She reveals how the promise of reform has faltered, leading to overcrowded detention centers filled with youth experiencing 'dead time' without access to necessary programs. Dungca discusses the emotional struggles of families, the rise in juvenile crime, and the urgent need for systemic changes to prioritize rehabilitation over punitive measures.
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Understanding Dead Time
- Dead time is the long wait between a teen's commitment to DYRS and placement in a rehabilitation program.
- This wait adds extra time beyond the sentence, trapping teens in uncertain detention stretches.
Reforming Juvenile Facilities
- D.C.'s juvenile facilities were historically prison-like, unsafe, and unlivable, leading to decades of court oversight.
- The 2004 reform aimed to create smaller, more humane detention and rehabilitation-focused programs.
Rising Wait Times for Rehab Placement
- From 2018 to 2024, wait times in detention for rehab placement grew from about a month to several months.
- No law limits detention wait times, though DYRS aims for placements within 30 days, a goal often unmet.