The US District Court for the District of Columbia entered an Order holding the District is in contempt of the Court’s preliminary injunction issued on June 16, 2021 because DC is continuing to fail to provide special education to the students with disabilities who are incarcerated at the DC Jail. The District must comply with …
District Government
This contains posts related to all parts of the District government including the DC Council, the Mayor’s office and related entities.
A Solution for Replacing the DC Jail?
Shelley Broderick, chair of the District Task Force on Jails & Justice (more), published an opinion piece in the Washington Post, titled Opinion: We have a plan to close the D.C. jail. It’s time to act, in response to the recent developments regarding conditions at the DC Jail. Citing the Task Force’s recommendations regarding the …
D.C. Council Tackles Sweeping Rewrite of Criminal Code
As reported in the DCIST: The DC Council has begun a process to evaluate a sweeping rewrite of the city’s criminal code, a deep-in-the-weeds and yet potentially consequential effort to better define crimes, clarify terms and penalties, and repeal outdated offenses — some dating back more than a century. The proposal could also have a …
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ReThink Justice Meeting Features Briefing on new Police Reform Commission Report
The April 2021 ReThink Justice monthly meeting featured a presentation on the recently publish final report of the DC Police Reform Commission. The report included a comprehensive set of police reform recommendations. The briefing was given by Blaine Stum, Legislative Policy Analyst for DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson . Mr. Stum, on behalf of Chairman …
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Community Leaders Send Letter to Councilmember Gray Questioning his attack on The Horizon homeless center
I a letter send to Councilmember Vincent Gray, a diverse group of over 20 community leaders, faith leaders and citizens calling on him to abandon his attacks on The Horizon, a short-term family housing facility in Ward 7 that supports 35 families. They also noted in the letter that the attack on The Horizon was …
Mayor Bowser Picks Police Official Robert J. Contee To Be Next Police Chief
As reported in the DCIST.com: Mayor Muriel Bowser has nominated longtime police official Robert J. Contee III to lead the Metropolitan Police Department in the wake of Chief Peter Newsham’s planned departure for the Prince William County Police Department.
Is Councilman Gray rallying council members to torpedo our new DC men’s halfway house?
As reported in the Washington City Paper Loose Lips this week, Councilman Vince Gray is using a political maneuver–supported by Council Chair Mendelson–as leverage to stop the opening of the federal men’s halfway house in his Ward. It should be noted that this tactic, if successful, may close down a homeless shelter! The District has …
Mayor Signs Bill That Makes It Easier For Residents With Criminal Records To Find Work
Mayor Muriel Bowser has signed a bill passed unanimously by the DC Council called the Removing Barriers to Occupational Licensing for Returning Citizens Amendment Act of 2019. The new law bars occupational licensing boards withholding a license based on a criminal conviction, unless it is currently pending or “directly related” to the occupation. Boards will …
Rep. Norton Introduces Congressional Legislation for Returning Parole and Supervised Release to District Control
What Happened The federal Revitalization Act of 1997 and subsequent legislation placed the management of the parole function under a federal agency, the U.S. Parole Commission (USPC). This past November, Congress authorized the elimination of the U.S. Parole Commission (USPC) in November 2020. This opened the door to returning these functions to District control. Now, …
Mayor Bowser Chooses New Chief of Police
Mayor Muriel Bowser has chosen a replacement for now-retired DC Police Chief Peter Newsham. She chose Robert J. Contee III, a 31-year veteran who joined the force as a cadet while a senior at the now-closed Spingarn High School. He will serve on an acting basis pending confirmation by the D.C. Council. For more, see …