Department of Youth Services

As the Juvenile Justice agency for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Department of Youth Services promotes positive change in the youth in our care and custody.

Contact Us

Address

600 Washington Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02111

Directions

Phone

Main Phone (617) 727-7575

Fax

Main (617) 951-2409

HR (617) 889-7818

Who we serve

Mission

The Department of Youth Services fosters positive outcomes for youth, builds safer communities, and collaborates for an equitable and fair justice system.

Vision

We envision a Commonwealth in which every young person has the skills, supports, and resources necessary to engage safely with their communities, and lead productive and fulfilling lives.

Values

Fairness: We value fairness in our treatment of youth in our care, their families and community support, and our staff and partners. We support increased fairness across all aspects of our justice system through strong and transparent relationships with our partners and collaborators.
Transparency: We believe that the processes by which we make our consequential decisions matter, and we are open and forthcoming about what information is informing our decisions, and who is the final authority.
Racial Equity: We believe that racial equity is the condition that would be achieved if our racial identities no longer predicted how we fare in life. Achieving this state requires absolute elimination of all policies, practices, attitudes and cultural messages that lead to differential outcomes by race. We strive to ensure that the impacts of our work reduce and mitigate racial and other disparities within DYS, within our communities, in our justice system, and beyond.
Integrity: We value honesty, fair processes, and full accountability for our actions.

Youth Served by DYS

DYS serves youth between the ages of 12-21 who have been adjudicated delinquent, adjudicated as a youthful offender, or placed in DYS’ overnight arrest beds and/or detention programs while awaiting a future court date. Within these broad categories, DYS serves:

Overnight Arrest Youth: Arrested outside of court business hours and held either on a cash bail or without the right to bail awaiting an appearance in court.
Detained Youth: Charged with offenses and detained either with or without right to bail while awaiting trial or probation violation hearings.
Adjudicated Delinquent Youth: Committed until the age of 18 for committing a felony or misdemeanor.
Adjudicated Youthful Offender: Committed until the age of 21 when the youth, between the ages of 14-18, committed a felony and had a previous DYS commitment, and/or committed certain firearms offenses and/or committed an offense involving the infliction or the threat of serious bodily harm to another

DYS Recruitment Video

Click here to see the Recruitment video made by DYS!

COVID-19 Important Notices and Links:

COVID-19 Vaccinations for Congregate Care Settings

Important Notices:

Fully vaccinated staff guidance on exposure and return to work

Meals in residential Setting COVID-19 Updated September 15 2021

Activity Protocol COVID-19 for Residential Settings Updated July 1 2021

DYS New Intake Quarantine January 14 2022

DYS Close Contact Quarantine January 26 2022

Modifications to Visitation Guidance and Passes Protocols during COVID 19 Updated March 19, 2021

DYS COVID-19 Prevention Protocols Post-Vaccination Congregate Care Family Communication 2-26-21