Incarceration in DC falls along both racial and socio-economic lines, meaning that when people are poor and/or Black, they are more likely to have encounters with police and thus be funneled into the carceral system. Over the summer, the DC Council passed emergency legislation that expands carcerality under the guise of public safety, including by expanding pretrial detention for both children and adults. Council is moving to make parts—if not all—of this legislation permanent.
Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, The Chosen Few at HIPS, Metro DC DSA, and DC Justice Lab present “Detention is NOT Prevention: DC Crime Bill Teach In” where we will unpack the bills being presented by the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. Participants will have an opportunity to send in written testimony in opposition of the parts of the legislation that make us less safe.
Legislators must create laws based on facts, not feelings. The facts are: that less than 2% of people are re-arrested for violent offenses when they are on pretrial release. Solutions should be narrowly tailored to address those who are committing harm instead of blanket solutions that fuel mass incarceration. Council should not move forward with ANY permanent legislation that expands pretrial detention for youth and adults.