Mission
Open City Advocates provides youth-centered legal defense and holistic advocacy for young people after sentencing in the DC juvenile justice system and works for systemic improvements to the juvenile justice system, both locally and nationally, to better the lives of marginalized children and youth.
Who We Serve
Open City Advocates provides mentoring and legal representation to children and youth in the juvenile justice system after sentencing. We support our clients as they reintegrate into their families and communities after incarceration as we fight for a fair and compassionate justice system.
Open City Advocates serves approximately 60-70 young people annually, ranging from 14-25 years old. Although Open City Advocates’ services are available to all youth committed to the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) regardless of race, gender, age, disability, or any other factor, 100% of the youth we serve are youth of color. This is due to the glaring fact that 100% of all children committed to DYRS are children of color: 97% are Black and 3% are Latino, despite Black youth comprising only 58% of the DC youth population.
Our History
Open City Advocates was founded in 2005 to address the racial inequities in DC’s juvenile system. All our clients have been sentenced to the custody and supervision of DYRS. This means that our clients are wards of the District, oftentimes until age 21, and that their placement and services may change several times with little court oversight. We ensure that no child must confront this complex bureaucratic system without specialized counsel and holistic advocacy.
In 2020, the DC Court of Appeals issued a historic ruling in our favor in our impact litigation case, In re N.H.M., recognizing that all youth in DC’s delinquency system have the right to an attorney after sentencing and throughout their incarceration and supervision. In July 2022, after extensive collaboration with Open City Advocates, the DC Family Court began appointing a “post-commitment juvenile attorney” to every child sentenced to supervision by DYRS. This new model of juvenile defense is the first of its kind in the nation.
Vision
Open City Advocates envisions a legal system that is equitable, fair, and compassionate towards children and youth.
