ACLU-D.C. Statement on the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022
The following statement can be attributed to Damon King, Policy Director for the ACLU of the District of Columbia, regarding support for Bill 24-450, the “Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022” (RCCA).
“ACLU-D.C. strongly urges the D.C. Council to override Mayor Bowser’s veto of the RCAA.
The RCAA is a long overdue overhaul of the D.C. criminal code. It significantly improves a code that has not undergone systematic review since originally codified in 1901 and, as a result, retains outdated policies that perpetuate racial inequality and make our communities demonstrably less safe by subjecting thousands of Black District residents to criminalization and incarceration. For decades, the outdated code has undermined the civil rights and liberties of all District residents and has contributed to D.C. having one of the highest incarceration rates in the country, with Black men making up over 95% of those incarcerated.
The RCCA brings the District’s criminal code in line with national standards and best practices, both structurally and substantively. It is necessary for the Council to override this veto.”
