FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Vasuki Wilson
Phone: (202) 294 – 2342
Email: [email protected]
DC Advocacy Organizations Release Joint Statement on Recent Deaths at DC Jail
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 6, 2024 – Today a group of legal and advocacy organizations released a statement following the recent deaths reported at DC Jail. ACLU-DC, Council for Court Excellence, DC Justice Lab, Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, Justice Policy Institute, National Reentry Network for Returning Citizens and Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs jointly said:
The recent deaths at the D.C. Jail highlight a severe oversight failure by the Department of Corrections (DOC). In 2022, the Council passed the Corrections Oversight Improvement Omnibus Amendment Act to increase the independence and effectiveness of the Corrections Information Council (CIC). Unfortunately, this law has not been implemented due to a lack of funding from both the Mayor and the Council, despite deplorable conditions at the jail.
The Council must fund the Corrections Oversight Improvement Omnibus Amendment Act. With five deaths already in 2024–and 2023 ending with a rate of deaths outpacing comparable national figures–it is clear that stronger oversight is desperately needed. We call for immediate, effective oversight of the DOC to ensure transparency and accountability and to address the critical issue of the safety of incarcerated residents. DOC is accountable to the community to provide a full explanation for each of the deaths that occurred in their custody, along with remedies to better protect the lives of individuals in the DC jail.
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ABOUT ACLU-DC
The ACLU of the District of Columbia (ACLU-D.C.) envisions a free and just D.C. where everyone, particularly historically oppressed communities, lives free from systemic governmental oppression. With the support of 14,000 members and supporters, we use an integrated advocacy approach—public education, advocacy, organizing, and litigation—to protect and advance civil liberties and civil rights for people who live in, work in, and visit D.C. We are a local affiliate of the ACLU, a nonpartisan nonprofit that dares to create a more perfect union.
ABOUT COUNCIL FOR COURT EXCELLENCE
Founded in 1982, the Council for Court Excellence (CCE) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic organization that envisions a justice system in the District of Columbia that equitably serves its people. CCE identifies and proposes solutions by collaborating with diverse stakeholders to conduct research, advance policy, educate the public, and increase civic engagement.
ABOUT DC JUSTICE LAB
DC Justice Lab is a team of law and policy experts researching, organizing, and advocating for large-scale changes to the District of Columbia’s criminal legal system. We develop smarter safety solutions that are evidence-driven, community-rooted, and racially just. We aim to fully transform the District’s approach to public safety and make it a national leader in justice reform.
ABOUT HARRIET’S WILDEST DREAMS
We are a Black-led abolitionist community defense hub centering all Black lives most at risk for state-sanctioned violence in the Greater Washington area. Our work includes legal empowerment, political and civic education, mass protest, organizing campaigns, and community care that builds alternatives to oppressive systems.
ABOUT JUSTICE POLICY INSTITUTE
Founded in 1997, the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) is a national nonprofit organization developing workable solutions to problems plaguing juvenile and criminal justice systems. Our research and analyses identify effective programs and policies and we disseminate our findings to the media, policymakers and advocates, and provide training and technical assistance to people working for justice reform.
ABOUT NATIONAL REENTRY NETWORK FOR RETURNING CITIZENS
We are the National Reentry Network, the premiere Returning Citizens organization in the United States. We help and assist the formerly incarcerated and imprisoned to become productive members of society and their communities.
ABOUT WASHINGTON LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS & URBAN AFFAIRS
For over 50 years, we’ve fought groundbreaking legal battles in pursuit of a more equitable society. We fight discrimination against all people, but we put special focus on the central role that current and historic race discrimination plays in sustaining inequity. We know that achieving lasting change requires much more than “leveling the playing field.” Our bold goal is to dismantle the historic mosaic of intersecting injustices created from the racial bias enshrined in our laws and institutions, to fight all forms of ongoing discrimination and promote justice in reality, not just form.