Under this are posts that are of general interest to the District’s criminal system that may not fit under other categories.
DCIST recently published an article raising questions about the implementation of the law extending the right to vote to incarcerated D.C. residents (passed by the D.C. Council two years ago) is actually being implemented. Titled D.C.’s Incarcerated Residents Have The Right To Vote, But Sometimes It’s Easier Said Than Done, it reports that advocates who …
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The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), a federally-funded independent D.C. agency, recently released a report on gun violence in the city. The Gun Violence Reduction Strategic Plan offers 16 recommendations designed to decrease violent crime and to alleviate the socioeconomic factors that give rise to violence in D.C. As reported in the Washington Post, and …
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Violence interruption is a community-based approach to reducing communal and interpersonal violence that treats violence as a public health problem. This type of model was reportedly created by the organization Cure Violence Global. Individuals providing violence interruption services are known as violence interrupters. Techniques used include mediation and measures to address underlying causes of violence. Violence interrupters …
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A staff attorney with the DC Public Defenders Service has been nominated by President Biden to be a Commissioner of the United States Parole Commission. Her appointment is subject to Senate approval. When approved, Ms. Carter will become one of three Commissioners and the only one who resides in, or has ties to, the District. …
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BOLTS magazine published an article titled Waiting for a Second Look. The piece highlights the challenges faced by people who were given lengthy sentences at a young age when seeking relief through D.C.’s landmark law the Second Look Amendment Act (SLAA). Passed in April 2021, the law allows individuals who have served at least 15 …
The ACLU DC noted in a March 2022 post that it “strongly” supports a bill currently before City Council that would comprehensively modernize most offenses in the District’s criminal code. If adopted into law, this bill will be the first comprehensive revision of the D.C. Code since 1901.
The Council for Court Excellence (CCE) has published a new report offering a look into the significant challenges and innovations in the District ’s adult and youth criminal legal systems during 2021. Titled D.C.’s Justice Systems Overview 2021, the report provides updates on various challenges and developments in D.C.’s criminal legal system, as well as …
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More Than Our Crimes, a group who advocates for individuals convicted of violent crimes who deserve a second chance, has been featured in an article published by the DCIST. The article, titled Meet The Duo Running A Publication By And For D.C.’s Prison Population, features More Than Our Crimes founders Pam Bailey and Robert Barton.
A bill introduced by Rep. Elenor Holmes-Norton (D-DC) was passed by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. The bill, if passed into law, would require the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide information to the District of Columbia on individuals convicted of felonies under D.C. law in BOP custody. BOP houses individuals convicted of …
As reported by NPR, the Justice Department (DOJ) is looking to reduce racial disparities in a tool it uses to assess a prisoner’s risk of a return to crime, after scholars and justice advocates pressed for change.
