Incarcerated youth who have been victim to, or engaged in violence or misconduct are isolated from effective and holistic trauma-informed services. DYRS reported in 2018 that 98% of youth were African American and 2% were Latino, making all committed youth, minorities. In 2018, DYRS and #MeWeIntl began discussion to launch the first #MeWeDC program to the youth in their program.
As of Spring 2021, the #MeWeDC pilot will begin with 24-32 incarcerated young men, and together we will discover why words and stories matter, how stories change our brains, impact our bodies and our mental health, and shape culture. We will also engage in collaborative storytelling and content creation projects—writing, drawing, spoken words—some of which will be published and featured in a book for the community, short films, and also put on public billboards across the country.