WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia commends today’s release of the Fair Budget Coalition’s annual budget report. The report urges District leaders to make strategic investments in policies that will remove barriers to justice and address systemic social, racial, and economic inequality in our communities.

The following statement can be attributed to Nassim Moshiree, Policy Director, ACLU-DC:

“The Fair Budget Coalition’s budget report recognizes that successfully tackling discrimination and inequality requires comprehensive investments and reforms that meet the full scope of community members’ needs. Without access to affordable housing, health care, employment, and basic services, D.C. residents cannot fully exercise their civil liberties and defend their civil rights.

The ACLU-DC is committed to safeguarding all D.C. residents’ fundamental liberties, eliminating racial disparities, pushing for government transparency and accountability, reversing the tide of overincarceration, and advocating for sensible, evidence-based reforms of criminal justice policies in the District. Working with local partners, we will continue to challenge discrimination in education, housing, policing, and the criminal justice system that has contributed to deeply entrenched racial inequality and inequity in the District.

The ACLU-DC is proud to be a member of the Fair Budget Coalition, and we hope District leaders will use this report and its recommendations to inform their decisions in this year’s budget negotiations. We look forward to standing with our partners and fellow community members to hold them accountable.