An Oak Hill Thanksgiving

Last Thursday, most of us spent the day eating turkey and watching football; appreciating all that life has given us. But for 250 children, Thanksgiving was spent behind bars at the Oak Hill Youth Center, the District's juvenile detention facility. On Thanksgiving Day, I visited Oak Hill with Jauhar Abraham, CEO of The Peaceoholics. We were allowed to share Thanksgiving dinner with the residents of the facility.

Never before in my life have I felt so much pain. Just days before, a riot broke out in one of the buildings, and several of the residents were still confined to their cells. The tension in the air permeated everything and everyone. I realized that Oak Hill is not a place that rehabilitates inmates, it seems to create more anger. This was validated when Jauhar from the Peaceoholics told me that 90 children who were released from Oak Hill were later murdered. This is the face of juvenile justice in the District, and it continues to foster the cycle of violence that plagues our city.

Oak Hill is symbolic of the challenges that we face as we move forward in the District of Columbia. For years, Oak Hill has been ignored and children have grown up to become either criminals or a statistic. Finally, Mayor Fenty is working to change the facility and I support efforts that will improve the environment so we can have the best possible chance to rehabilitate our youth and welcome them to contributing to the continuing progress that our City needs.

This will not be easy. It is clear that the approach to this issue over the past several decades has failed. It will require fresh ideas and energetic leadership on City Council to find a solution and support Mayor Fenty's efforts. Anything less is unacceptable.