According to several media reports, DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has announced Council assignments for next year. Some highlights:
COVID-19 Information
This has posts providing information and resources related how COVID impacts the criminal legal system, both DC and national.
Judge Rules D.C. Jail Must Do More To Protect Inmates From The Coronavirus
As report by WAMU.ORG: A U.S. District judge on Thursday ordered changes at the D.C. Jail to protect inmates from the coronavirus. The ACLU of D.C. and the Public Defender Service had filed a class-action lawsuit against the Department of Corrections on behalf of the inmates.
Justice Roundtable Publishes Comprehensive Recommendations for COVID-19 Response
The Justice Roundtable, a broad national criminal justice advocacy umbrella initiative with 14 subject-matter coalitions, recently published a comprehensive set of recommendations for criminal justice responses to the COVID-19 crisis. This document is an excellent reference covering many subjects that the Rethink Justice DC Coalition works on. A one-page summary of key issues was also …
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Online Resource: Covid-19 Correctional Policies & Responses
The UCLA School of Law has created databases that keep track of developments related to COVID-19 in prisons and jails nationwide. Launched amid the mounting coronavirus crisis — including reports of infections in high-risk places where large numbers of people are packed into tight quarters — the resources address two key areas.
Mayor Bowser Grants Early Release to Several Residents Held in the DC Jail
Mayor Bowser, through authority granted by the “COVID-19 Response Emergency Amendment Act of 2020” that was recently passed by the Council of the District of Columbia, will grant 75 days of additional good time credits to eligible residents in the DC Jail. Those eligible include residents who are currently in the DC Jail as a …
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DC Councilmember Allen Letter to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services
DC City Councilman Charles Allen sent a letter on April 9, 2020 to Kevin Donahue, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Wayne Turnage, Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services to express “serious concerns about the safety and wellbeing of District residents exiting our criminal justice system.”
DC DOC Publishes Online COVID-19 Response FAQs
The DC Department of Corrections has posted a FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) page on the DC.GOV website. View DC DOC COVID-19 Response FAQs
Bureau of Prisons Director Carvajal Sends COVID-19 Memo to Federal Inmates
The Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Michael Carvajal, published a memo he sent directly to all inmates of the Federal Bureau of Prisons .
Federal judge to order inspection of D.C. jail in coronavirus lawsuit seeking emergency inmate releases
Source: washingtonpost.com A federal judge said Tuesday that she will order an emergency inspection of the D.C. jail while weighing whether to release prisoners after the number of inmates infected with the novel coronavirus quintupled from five cases to 28 in little more than a week, and the system transferred the first patient to a …
Congressional Research Service report: Federal Prisoners and COVID-19: Background and Authorities to Grant Release
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has released a report titled Federal Prisoners and COVID-19: Background and Authorities to Grant Release. The CRS report provides information on DOJ’s response to the threat of COVID-19 as it pertains to federal prisons and the authorities that may permit the release of some federal prisoners because of the pandemic.