The Ward 5 Report:
Youth Edition
 Councilmember McDuffie is joined by Attorney General Karl Racine and Councilmember David Grosso to announce a significant reform to the District’s juvenile-justice system.
On Friday, April 3, Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie was joined by
At-Large Councilmember David Grosso and Attorney General Karl Racine to
announce a significant reform to the District’s juvenile-justice system.
Currently, the security of D.C. Courts, in addition to the handling
of detained juveniles at hearings, is the responsibility of the U.S.
Marshals Service, a federal law enforcement agency. As a result of its
unique status, D.C. is the only state-level court system in the country
where the U.S. Marshals escort juvenile defendants for local offenses.
By convening all of the relevant parties and forging an agreement,
Councilmember McDuffie was able to ensure the immediate implementation
of new rules regarding the treatment of juveniles, as well as the
cooperation of our federal government partners.
Chief Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Lee F.
Satterfield’s Administrative Order 15-07, “Individual Determinations for
the Use of Restraints on Respondents”, ensures there is a presumption
that every child should be unrestrained, and requires that judges make
an individualized determination with written findings to support any
decision that a juvenile poses a risk with respect to him or herself, or
the courtroom’s personnel and visitors.
Ending juvenile shackling in D.C. follows the development of a
nationwide trend. At least twelve states (Alaska, California, Florida,
Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North
Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington) have banned the
indiscriminate use of restraints on juveniles. Of these, five states
have banned the indiscriminate shackling of youth by amending court
rules, two through litigation, three through legislation, and one
through formal judicial policy.
The Administrative Order goes into effect today.
Legislative &Committee Updates
New legislation that will dramatically improve the health outcomes of youth in the District of Columbia
On Thursday, March 26, Councilmember McDuffie re-introduced
a bill that will increase the minimum age to purchase and possess tobacco
products from 18 to 21. The legislation would also prohibit retailers from
selling tobacco products to persons under the age of 21. “Raising the minimum
age to purchase tobacco products will significantly reduce our youth’s exposure
to a deadly habit,” stated McDuffie. “The legislation is our best tool to
prevent adolescents from smoking, both presently and in the future as adults.” Nationwide,
more than one in seven high school students are current smokers.
A recent report by the Institute of
Medicine concludes that a delayed initiation to tobacco products will
significantly reduce the rate of smoking later in life, improve health
outcomes, and save lives.
Councilmember McDuffie also
introduced a bill to ban the sale of powdered alcohol
(“Palcohol”). This month, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau preliminarily
approved the sale of Palcohol, which is a powder that can be dissolved into
water to create an alcoholic beverage. Several states, including Alaska,
Delaware, Louisiana and Vermont, have already banned the sale of the product,
while many other jurisdictions are currently considering similar legislation.
Announcements from the D.C. Government
DISB Offers Free Financial Education Resources to Improve
the Financial Capabilities of District Residents
April is National Financial Capability Month and the D.C.
Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB), the District’s
financial services regulator, will offer free personal financial resources
throughout the month to improve the financial literacy of the city’s residents.
DPW Offers Options to Dispose of HHW, E-cycling, Personal
Documents for Shredding in April 2015
The DC Department of Public Works announced the April
2015 schedule for disposing of household hazard waste, e-cycling and personal
documents for shredding at the Fort Totten Transfer Station*.
Mayor Bowser Announces Initiatives to Foster Economic
Opportunity, Support Small Business Growth
Mayor Muriel Bowser announced two initiatives aimed at
creating more quality affordable housing, supporting small and local business
and expanding job opportunities for DC residents.
Kenyan in the Community
 Ward 5 Leadership Meeting
On Monday, March 30, Councilmember McDuffie hosted the Ward 5 Leadership Meeting. The meeting was well attended by Advisory
Neighborhood Commissioners, civic association executive board members, and
other community stakeholders.
The purpose of the meeting was to engage Ward 5 leaders on
the current state of Ward 5. The Councilmember gave a presentation on the first
three months of Council Period 21, and outlined his priorities for the coming
year.
Following the presentation, attendees broke out in groups to
participate in Community Conversations, which covered issues such
as housing, economic development, and public safety. The individual groups then
presented their concerns to the entire body, which the Councilmember will
incorporate in his legislative and budget focus for Council Period 21.
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 DC Fire and EMS Cadet Class 17 Graduation Ceremony
On Friday, April 3, Councilmember McDuffie joined City Administrator Rashad Young, Deputy
City Administrator Kevin Donahue, and Interim Fire Chief Edward Mills for the graduating ceremony of Cadet Class 17 held at Dunbar Senior
High School.
Councilmember McDuffie was the keynote speaker and
offered words of encouragement to the newest members of the department.
Members of Cadet Class 17 will now join the ranks as Probationary Firefighters. Join the Councilmember in congratulating Cadet Class 17!
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Community Bulletin Board
 Congressional Art Competition
Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored
by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic
Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the
artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our congressional district.
Students' art work will be displayed across the District of Columbia, including at the John A. Wilson Building.
For more information, please visit Congresswoman Norton's website.
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Ward 5's DC Water Town Hall on Thursday, April 9
 Brookland - Edgewood Livability Study's first meeting on Thursday, April 9
The
District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is kicking-off a six month
livability study of the Brookland and Edgewood areas. DDOT livability
studies seek to improve daily quality of life by taking a big picture
look at the street network and by identifying concrete actions to
increase safety and improve transportation connectivity and
accessibility. Through a collaborative process with the local community
and stakeholders, DDOT will develop study recommendations for improving
multimodal connectivity, accessibility and quality of life for the
people who live, work, and recreate in the Brookland and Edgewood
neighborhoods.
The
first meeting will take place on Thursday, April 9, from 6:00 to 8:00
PM, at Trinity Washington University's Main Hall - O'Connor Auditorium
(125 Michigan Avenue, NE).
For more information, please visit BELivabilityStudy.com.
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SAVE THE DATE!
2015 DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE SUMMIT
AND NETWORKING SYMPOSIUM
Thursday, May 21, 2015
9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Kellogg Conference
Center at Gallaudet University
800 Florida Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002
Stay Connected
For more information,
please visit http://www.kenyanmcduffie.com or contact our office at (202)
724-8028. Follow
Councilmember McDuffie at twitter.com/CM_McDuffie and/or facebook.com/KenyanRMcDuffie.
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