June 14, 2023
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
;er
r
MURIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
I would appreciate the Council’s earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
for appointment as Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, to serve at the
pleasure of the Mayor.
Muri :1 Bo’
Mayi
Enclosed you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-mentioned
nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
In accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law
2-142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01, and pursuant to section 102(b) of the Department of Youth
Rehabilitation Services Establishment Act of 2004, effective April 12, 2005 (D.C. Law 15-335;
D.C. Official Code § 2-1515.02(b)), I am pleased to nominate the following person:
Mr. Sam Abed
Oldham Street
Baltimore, MD 21224
Sincerely, A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
as Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, pursuant to section 102(b) of the
Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Establishment Act of 2004, effective April 12,30
2005 (D.C. Law 15-335; D.C. Official Code § 2-1515.02(b)), to serve at the pleasure of the31
Mayor.32
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,33
upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.34
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.35
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To confirm the appointment of Mr. Sam Abed as Director of the Department of Youth
Rehabilitation Services.
Mr. Sam Abed
Oldham Street
Baltimore MD 21224
chairman Phil Mendelson
at the request of the Mayor
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Sam
Abed Confirmation Resolution of 2023”. SAM ABED
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Key accomplishments include:
1 | P a g e
• Member, National Academy of Sciences committee on a prioritized plan to
implement a developmental approach in juvenile justice reform. The resulting
report. Implementing Juvenile Justice Reform, The Federal Role has been
adopted by the United States Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention.
• Chair, Statewide Juvenile Justice Reform Council whose recommendations were
adopted into law in the 2022 Maryland General Assembly session and included
the establishment of a minimum age of delinquency jurisdiction at 13 years old
for most offenses, prohibition of incarceration for misdemeanors except
firearms offenses, prohibition of incarceration for technical violations of
probation and expands the department's diversion authority to include non
violent felonies.
• Established the Office of Equity and Inclusion in 2016 and created the DJS Race
Equity Framework, to promote and achieve racial and ethnic equity in DJS
policies and practices. The framework involves building organizational will, skill
and knowledge to identify and disrupt inequitable treatment of youth.
• Drove down the detained youth population by 64% while also successfully
advocating to hold youth charged as adults in juvenile detention rather than
adult jails.
• Drove down the population of youth awaiting placement by 87% and out of
state placement population by over 90%.
• Transformed the budget from spending three times the dollars on residential
services when compared to community-based services to now spending twice
as much in the community which resulted in significantly less overall spending
netting a savings of $52 million dollars annually.
• The cumulative impact of over a decade of reforms resulted in overall youth
crime declining 78% statewide.
Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, Baltimore, Maryland
Secretary, January 2011 - January 2023
• Appointed by Governor Martin O'Malley in 2011 and Governor Larry Hogan in
2015.
• Responsible for the management and operation of the State's juvenile justice
system.
• Led over 2500 employees and maintained an operating budget of $280 million.
• Oversaw all phases and services of the agency, to include support services,
operations, intake, probation supervision, detention, treatment and aftercare of
committed youth.
• The DJS vision is to facilitate Successful Youth, Strong Leaders, Safer
Communities. 2 | P a g e
University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore Maryland
Adjunct Professor, Fall 2021 - Present
Developed a course titled, "Ending Juvenile Mass Incarceration through Public
Policy"
The senior level class explores the role and function of the juvenile justice system
and how structural as well as policy-based reforms have resulted in lower
incarceration rates for youth in Maryland. The class also explores strategies
implemented around the country and engages students in discussion on their
effectiveness and impact on public safety in Maryland through a race equity lens.
Office of the Sussex County Commonwealth's Attorney, Sussex, Virginia
Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, June 2004 - March 2006
Prosecuted felony and misdemeanor crimes in the Juvenile, General District, and
Circuit Courts of Sussex County. Range of casework included Dili and other traffic
felonies, fraud, drug, and homicide offenses.
Virginia Commission for National and Community Service, Commonwealth
of Virginia
Commissioner, August 2002 - May 2005
Appointed by Governor Mark Warner to create a unified state plan on matters
related to the promotion and development of citizen service and volunteerism in
the Commonwealth. Oversight of requests to apply for federal funding for national
service projects, designed to foster a sense of civic duty in serving fellow
Virginians.
Interim Director, January 2010 - July 2010
Assumed responsibility for the duties of the director as well as chief deputy during
the transition between Governors. Maintained all operations during the biennial
budget planning General Assembly session.
Deputy Director of Operations, July 2010 - November 2010
Direct supervision of the Division of Operations - 6 juvenile correctional facilities
and 32 court service units statewide.
Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice, Richmond, Virginia
Chief Deputy Director, March 2006 - January 2010
Appointed by Governor Tim Kaine to oversee of an agency budget of over $200
million, as well as management of a personal budget of nearly $1 million annually.
• Developed the Department's data resource guide, which identifies specific data
collection and service trends to achieve a measurable and positive impact on
the youth served in Maryland. See link here.
• Implemented the State's first human trafficking screening tool in all DJS
operated facilities.
• Significantly improved agency relationships with policy makers, the legislature,
local and federal counterparts, the judiciary, constituents, stakeholders and
external partners by continuously providing a transparent view of critical data
points and performance measures. EDUCATION
Students Class
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND COMMITTEES
3 | P a g e
• Virginia State Bar
• Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators (CJJA)
• Georgetown University Juvenile Justice Leadership Network (JJLN)
• TA Network for Children's Behavioral Health Advisory Board
• Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission
• Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force
• Governor's Workforce Investment Board
• Baltimore City Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (BCCJCC)
• Governor's Children's Cabinet
• DJS State Advisory Board
American University in Cairo, Arabic Language Institute, Cairo, Egypt
Summer Program, 1997
• Intensive study of the Arabic language
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
Bachelor of Science, Psychology 1997
• Arab Students Organization - Vice President
• Varsity Wrestling Team
Office of the City of Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney, Norfolk, Virginia
Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, April 2002 - May 2004
Attorney for team charged with prosecuting misdemeanor offenses in four
targeted police patrol car districts in the City of Norfolk. Also, prosecuted various
felony offenses including fraud, grand larceny and malicious wounding.
University of Richmond School of Law, Richmond, Virginia
Juris Doctor, May 2001
• American Bar Association/Law
Representative
• Multi-ethnic Law Students Association, Co-President and Treasurer
• Phi Alpha Delta
Division, Treasurer and Sam Abed
Director Abed holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond School of
Law.
Sam Abed is Acting Director of the Department of Youth
Rehabilitation Services (DYRS).
Director Abed has decades of experience in public sector
administration and expertise in leading juvenile justice programs.
He recent served as Secretary of the Maryland Department of
Juvenile Services (DJS) responsible for the management and
operation of the State’s juvenile justice system, leading over 2000
employees, overseeing all phases and services of the agency, to
include support services, operations, intake, probation
supervision, detention, and treatment of committed youth in 11
youth centers throughout the state of Maryland.
Director Abed was chosen by the Governor of Maryland to Chair
the Juvenile Justice Reform Council in 2019, charged with identifying and making
recommendations to limit or otherwise mitigate risk factors that contribute to juvenile contact with
the criminal and juvenile justice systems. In 2014, the National Research Council appointed
Director Abed to the Committee on a Prioritized Plan to Implement a Developmental Approach in
Juvenile Justice Reform. The committee was convened to identify, assess and prioritize strategies
and
policies to effectively reform the juvenile justice system, building on the recommendations
from the 2013 report, ''Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach.'' The Committee
on a Prioritized Plan to Implement a Developmental Approach in Juvenile Justice Reform, in
collaboration with the Committee on Law and Justice, and the Division of Behavioral and Social
Sciences and Education, produced the publication “Implementing Juvenile Justice Reform: The
Federal Role. ”
Executi ve Office of the Mayor - Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
★ ★ ★
WE ARE
WASHINGTON Elizabeth A. (Betsy) Cavendish
To:
From:
Date:
Subject:
Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
★ ★ ★
WE ARE
WASHINGTON
Tommy Wells, Steve Walker
Betsy Cavendish
June 7, 2023
Legal sufficiency review of Resolution nominating Sam Abed as Director of the
Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services__________________________
This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced resolution and
found it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not
hesitate to call Vanessa Careiro, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at
202-724-1303, or me at 202-724-7681.
The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue. NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681