Background: ACLU-D.C. urges the D.C. Council to (1) address conditions and housing issues at the D.C. Jail; (2) empower strong, independent oversight and the sharing of information by the Corrections Information Council; and (3) banning the use of solitary confinement and other harmful isolation practices like the Department of Corrections' abuse of “safe cells.”
Our Position: To say that DOC’s management of the jail has been abysmal is an understatement. CIC has not worked to hold DOC accountable, and a swift change is necessary. In its oversight and legislative role, the Council has the power and responsibility to step in and the urgency to do so now is higher than ever. We urge the Council to pass the ERASE Solitary bill, the FRESH STARTS bill, and fully fund the CIC.