Post Reports: Serving ‘Dead Time’
The Washington Post Podcast Episode Released on June 11, 2025
Hosts: Martine Powers and Elahe Izadi
Hosts’ Description: Elahe Izadi introduces the episode, and investigative reporter Nicole Dunka provides in-depth insights.
1. Introduction to the Juvenile Detention Issue
Elahe Izadi opens the episode by sharing the story of a young man, identified by his initials N.H., who grew up in Washington, D.C., and became entangled in the city’s juvenile justice system. N.H.’s experiences highlight systemic issues within the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYS), the agency responsible for rehabilitating young offenders.
Key Quote:
Elahe Izadi ([00:02]): "Growing up in DC, a young man we're calling N.H. had heard about this detention center in the city. It was a facility meant to detain young people charged with serious crimes."
2. N.H.’s Journey Through the Juvenile System
N.H. recounts his initial arrests in 2023 and 2024 for serious offenses, leading to his commitment to DYS. Contrary to his expectations of rehabilitation, N.H. found himself awaiting placement in programs—a period he describes as “dead time.”
Key Quote:
N.H. ([02:37]): "I'm just sitting on a whole bunch of dead time."
3. Investigative Reporting by Nicole Dunka
Nicole Dunka, an investigative reporter for The Washington Post, along with her team, conducted an extensive investigation into DYS’s handling of juvenile cases. Their findings reveal significant delays and inadequate rehabilitation services for detained youth.
Key Findings:
- Prolonged Detention: From 2018 to 2024, teens like N.H. were waiting up to five times longer than intended for placement in rehabilitation programs, often spending months in detention.
- Overcrowded Facilities: The detention center, initially built for 80 beds in 2004, became overcrowded, leading to increased violence and unsafe conditions.
- Insufficient Services: Detained youth received minimal rehabilitative services, with reports of inadequate therapy sessions and a lack of individualized support.
Key Quote:
Nicole Dunka ([01:54]): "We found that in many cases, some of these teens who had been committed to DYS were supposed to getting into these rehabilitation programs, but they were spending months in this detention center waiting."
4. The Concept of 'Dead Time'
"Dead time" refers to the indefinite period juveniles spend in detention awaiting placement in rehabilitation programs. Unlike the adult system, where time served counts towards sentencing, juveniles do not benefit similarly, leading to extended and uncertain detention periods.
Key Quote:
Nicole Dunka ([04:58]): "Dead time is essentially the time in between when a teen is committed to the care of DYS and when they're transferred to a rehabilitation program."
5. Historical Context and System Reform
D.C.'s juvenile justice system underwent significant reforms in the early 2000s, transitioning from punitive detention to a focus on rehabilitation. The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYS) was established in 2004 to embody this new approach, aiming to place teens in smaller, more supportive environments rather than large detention facilities.
Key Quote:
Nicole Dunka ([06:40]): "They were supposed to be put into programs, either secure programs or programs where they can live at home that will help rehabilitate them."
6. Current Challenges and Systemic Failures
Despite reforms, the investigation uncovered that:
- Lack of Rehabilitation Beds: A shortage of available spots in rehabilitation programs caused significant bottlenecks.
- Unsafe Detention Conditions: Overcrowding led to increased violence and inadequate supervision, compromising the safety of detained youth.
- Inadequate Support Services: Many juveniles did not receive the intensive therapeutic support they needed, hindering their rehabilitation.
Key Quote:
Nicole Dunka ([12:11]): "We were finding that this detention facility... had become perpetually overcrowded... holding both people who were waiting for their trials, and then also the people who were waiting to go to different rehabilitation programs."
7. Impact on Youth and Families
Families expressed deep concern over the prolonged detention and unsafe conditions. Parents reported traumatic experiences, including their children being involved in violent incidents within the facility.
Key Quote:
Parent of a Detained Teen ([14:14]): "The only security exists, I think, are the physical walls and doors, but the control of that security is almost non-existent. So it's just I don't feel safe anybody's kid... not just my own."
8. Government and Agency Responses
When approached for comments, city officials largely deflected responsibility. Mayor Muriel Bowser publicly lauded DYS, highlighting reductions in violent crime arrests but did not engage directly with the investigative findings.
Key Quote:
Muriel Bowser ([24:45]): "DYS is a fantastic agency... making sure that young people who need to be in secure detention are actually in secure detention."
Nicole Dunka noted that while DYS claimed to reduce the number of youths waiting for transfer, advocates argue that the remaining delays are still excessively long and harmful.
9. The Road Ahead: Reforms and Solutions
The investigation underscores the urgent need for comprehensive reforms within D.C.’s juvenile justice system. Recommendations include:
- Increasing Rehabilitation Capacity: Expanding the number of rehabilitation program slots to reduce waiting times.
- Enhancing Supervision and Safety: Improving detention facility conditions to ensure the safety and well-being of detained youth.
- Implementing Holistic Support Services: Providing individualized and intensive therapeutic services to address the diverse needs of juveniles.
Key Quote:
Nicole Dunka ([23:31]): "If you want crime to stop, you have to actually rehabilitate these teens... otherwise, they could go back to some of these crimes."
10. Conclusion: The Human Impact of Systemic Failures
N.H.’s story encapsulates the broader issues within D.C.’s juvenile justice system—where the promise of rehabilitation is undermined by systemic inefficiencies and resource shortages, leaving youth in prolonged periods of uncertainty and inadequate support. The episode calls for urgent attention to reform these systems to better serve both the youth and the community at large.
Key Quote:
N.H. ([19:52]): "I'm missing... good birthdays being here, like my 18th. That's a big birthday to miss."
Production Credits:
Produced by Peter Bresnan with assistance from Shawn Carter, edited by Rena Flores and Maggie Penman, and thanks to Lisa Gardner and David Fallis.
Closing Remarks by Elahe Izadi:
Elahe emphasizes the ongoing need for improvement within the juvenile justice system and teases future episodes covering more stories from The Washington Post.
This detailed summary encapsulates the critical discussions and findings from the "Serving ‘Dead Time’" episode of Post Reports. The episode sheds light on the profound challenges within D.C.’s juvenile justice system, emphasizing the need for systemic reform to ensure effective rehabilitation and safety for all stakeholders involved.