The House DC is a nonprofit organization located in Anacostia, a vibrant neighborhood in southeast Washington, D.C. with a strong sense of community. Like many urban neighborhoods, it also faces significant challenges including high crime rates, pervasive poverty, and widespread drug use among youth. Their mission is “to transform and empower at-risk youth, their families, and their neighborhoods by breaking cycles and building futures of hope through the love of Jesus.” This mission is carried out through the dedication of long-term staff, the financial support of local churches, and intentional strategies enacted to make The House an appealing and inviting place for young people to spend their free time. As president and CEO La Wonda Violet described it, The House is “the alternative to kids hanging out on the street.”
A few short miles away on Capitol Hill, H.R.5140 is awaiting discussion in the Senate, having passed the House in September 2025. This bill would lower the age at which an individual may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in Washington D.C. to 14. Should it pass, a 14-year-old would no longer be considered a juvenile in all cases, a designation that ensures that the case is tried in a family court. Currently, certain crimes allow for youth age 16 and older to be tried as adults, including murder and sexual assault. Additionally, youth as young as age 15 may be tried as adults if a felony has been committed and it is determined that “there are no reasonable prospects for the individual’s rehabilitation.” The bill would lower the minimum age in these cases to 14.
The proposed practice of trying 14-year-olds as adults reduces the possibility for nonprofit organizations like The House DC to positively change the trajectory of a young person’s life by walking alongside them and compassionately investing in their lives. Adult sentencing results in higher placements in adult facilities, increased recidivism rates, and limited access to community-based programs for counseling and development. For example, a child tried in juvenile court was given a lighter sentence with a provision in his parole that he regularly attend The House DC. This allowed him the chance to grow alongside caring adults and build a future for himself following his mistake.
No Child Beyond Hope
The claim that a child could be so far gone that there is no reasonable hope of restoration stands in direct contrast to the hope of Christ. This claim exists in the law for children age 15 and older even if the newest bill does not pass. But if the age threshold is lowered to 14, an increasing number of children will find themselves labeled as irredeemable, trapped in a system that does not work for their benefit. Scripture assures that “the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). This confidence in the hope of restoration and repentance for all people, even those who the justice system would deem as beyond reasonable expectation of rehabilitation, can be witnessed in the faithful work of The House DC.
Jonathan Harris, executive director of Life Skills at The House DC, described the primary aim of his work as “try[ing] to fill the void of that parent or guardian” who is either absent from a child’s life or simply uninformed about the ins and outs of the justice system. He noted that not only are the vast majority of parents unaware of how to help a child who has been arrested, but the public defenders also carry heavy caseloads, making it impossible to craft individual defenses and plans of action for every case. That is where Jonathan and the other staff come in. They are committed to demonstrating the love of Christ to every youth they can, “whether that’s tough love or financial support or feeding [their] young people.” It’s evident that Jonathan’s work at The House is not just a job. He spoke passionately about the youth he serves: “They’re not just kids that come to a youth center. When they come through the door, they’re our children. Anything and everything a parent would do, we take that role. Whether it’s running down the street because someone is in danger or whether it’s, ‘hey let’s sit here and talk about what’s going on.’”
Government and Civil Society Working Together
In a world divided along the fault lines of race and economic status, the justice system often operates solely from an outside perspective on a child’s life. Unaware of each child’s individual circumstances, due in part to the overburdened nature of the system, the age-lowering provision is yet another example of policy that treats youth as a broad category rather than as individuals in need of specific care. Organizations like The House DC are invaluable both in forming the lives of children before they encounter the justice system and in walking with them if they do.
According to La Wonda, The House has “had a judge say that someone has to attend the House as a condition of their probation,” a clear display of the importance of government and civil society working together to bring about justice. Public justice recognizes that “the scope of government’s work [is limited] to promoting policies and practices that uphold the ability of other institutions and associations to make their full contributions to human flourishing.” In this case, the judge recognized that the individual had needs extending far beyond punishment for his act. The judge didn’t have the time or capability to ask necessary questions to determine the current state of his life and discover the motivation behind his actions, but The House did. La Wonda stressed the importance of asking the “why” questions following an arrest: “Why did they do it? Were they trying to get money? Do they have a job?” Each answer reveals a piece of the young person’s story unexplored in a court of law but essential to their flourishing and future success. To lower the age of adult sentencing is to act as though the government is the only institution needed to uphold public justice and to limit the ability of nonprofit organizations like The House to invest in these “why” questions and prevent further incarceration.
The Role of Civil Society
Community involvement is necessary to a child’s wellbeing, giving them a place where they are heard, protected, cared for, and known. For a child to grow up feeling unwanted could not be farther from the gospel, in which God chooses unworthy and unlikely people to be God’s own, even in the midst of their disobedience and rebellion. Unconditional love forms character, and without the presence of stable family systems and consistent adult figures, there is a severe lack of that love in many young people’s lives. For many children in Anacostia, that comes from The House. It comes from an open door off the street, an inviting space to relax, and adults who selflessly give of themselves. The role of civil society for adolescents is to care for and protect them, a role that will only be hindered if 14-year-olds can be tried as adults. Society must recognize children as children and, in doing so, be willing to extend additional guidance and care to the least of these.
Jonathan spoke of a young person whose case he was currently working on—a reliable and consistent presence at The House who got caught up in the wrong crowd one afternoon and ended up in jail. His hope for the case reflects everything The House DC stands for: “We’re hoping that the judge will see that he has a support system. We’re an organization that holds young people accountable. And I want the judge to know this is not just a young person who is going to go off. He’s going to be held accountable, but that’s not going to be hard for him because he’s not a bad kid.”
This is what it looks like when government and civil society work together, when a judge can look beyond a single moment of poor judgment and see a young person held within a community of accountability and care. The House DC offers a tangible model for the church to imitate in a world where a 14-year-old may soon find themselves in an adult prison system. Jonathan’s vision for this young man ought to call the body of Christ to the same.
Keira Konson is an undergraduate student at Baylor University, studying Religion, Philosophy, and Music. She is passionate about the importance of education and seeing the church engage with the broken world in meaningful ways.
Graphic by Center for Public Justice / Source Photo by Pgiam from Getty Images Signature, accessed with Canva Pro.
