Criminal Justice

Building a fair and equitable adult criminal legal system.

Tackling Critical Justice Reform

At CCE, we are addressing the most critical criminal legal issues facing the District, including systemic barriers and racial disparities that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. We bring together diverse groups of impacted people and experts to build bridges and ensure that we have the best understanding of how the systems are working and how they could be better.

From advocating for alternatives to incarceration to improving reentry and conditions of confinement, CCE is committed to creating a system that prioritizes rehabilitation and addresses the root causes of crime, ultimately striving for a safer and more equitable community for all.

40%
Approximately 40% of people incarcerated in D.C. have substance use disorders.
2020
D.C. has been without a men’s halfway house since 2020.
1 in 7
In D.C., one in seven adults have a criminal record, and about 20,000 District residents are under some form of correctional supervision on any given day.
95%
While Black people make up 47% of D.C.’s population, they are 86% of the people arrested, 90% of those jailed, and 95% of those in prison.

Recent Criminal Justice News

CCE Releases "Is D.C. More Secure? A Criminal Legal System Overview"

On September 23, 2024, CCE released "Is D.C. More Secure? A Criminal Legal System Overview", which provides up-to-date data on many key aspects of D.C.’s criminal legal system. The report gives particular focus to parts of the legal system that may be impacted in the months and years ahead by provisions of the SECURE D.C. legislation passed in early 2024.

District Task Force on Jails & Justice Statement Disapproving of D.C.'s Proposed Jail Plan

On June 7, 2024 the District Task Force on Jails & Justice released a public statement on the D.C. Department of Corrections' plans for a new jail facility. The Task Force calls on District leaders to engage with its concerned members and those who are most impacted by the jail to develop a plan to house and treat people who are held in custody as safely and humanely as possible.

CCE Releases "More Data is Needed on the Use of Solitary Confinement in D.C."

Today CCE released an issue brief entitled, "More Data is Needed on the Use of Solitary Confinement in D.C." The brief provides an overview of our efforts to get information and data about the use of solitary confinement - often referred to as restrictive housing or segregation - in D.C. Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities. It goes on to summarize the limited data that was provided after more than two years of protracted negotiations, and describes the inquiries that remain unanswered by DOC.

Interested in joining our Criminal Justice committee?

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