Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb is taking a stand against the high recidivism rates among the youth in Philadelphia's criminal justice system. Today, Schwalb rolled out the “ROAD Act,” a legislative proposal aimed at overhauling the Department of Youth Rehabilitative Services (DYRS). The goal is to significantly cut down on the alarming statistic that 92.7% of young offenders are re-arrested after their release, as per a study by the Mayor’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

The Attorney General is urgently pushing for reforms to responsibly reduce youth crime and re-offense. "Young people must face consequences when they break the law, but once our office has prosecuted them, the District must work to ensure that they won't re-offend and will go on to become productive members of our communities," said Schwalb. The ROAD Act is expected to quickly improve supervision and intervention practices for DYRS, mandating stronger court authority and setting up permanent oversight to hold the department accountable.

This move comes in light of the Office of Attorney General's (OAG) continuing efforts to address gun violence and promote public safety across the city. Under Schwalb’s direction, the OAG has been aggressive in the courtroom, prosecuting a vast majority of severe crimes, including those involving firearms. Besides pressing charges in critical cases, the OAG defends the city’s gun laws and has successfully litigated against a ghost gun manufacturer. Schwalb's office is also credited with expanding the Cure the Streets program, which takes a public health approach to quelling violent crimes.

Another essential component of the OAG’s multifaceted approach is combating truancy and helping kids stay in school through its ATTEND program. "Too many people across all eight wards don't feel safe right now, and residents are rightly demanding swift action from their elected leaders," Schwalb emphasized, clearly recognizing the need to closely integrate community safety with youth development and criminal justice reforms, as per the Office of the Attorney General.

For more detailed information on the proposed legislation, the full text of the ROAD Act can be found here.