Legislation

The current occupation of D.C. and overzealous policing we are witnessing from federal law enforcement agencies alongside officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD, the Department) are not new for some communities. Black, immigrant, and other marginalized people, who have long been over policed and used as scapegoats for policy failures or political fodder, have always been the canaries in the coal mine. And they have also been at the forefront of movements fighting to make this society one that truly protects and keeps all of us safe.

The American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia (ACLU-D.C.) believes that empowering our young residents to lead healthy, productive lives will help make our communities safer, stronger, and more resilient. Relying on outdated approaches to public safety—such as over-policing and over-incarceration—is ineffective and does not make our communities safer. Instead, D.C. must prioritize systems and programs that support our communities, provide holistic security, and invest in the incredible potential of our youth in D.C.

The American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia (ACLU-D.C.) believes that relying on outdated approaches to public safety—such as over-policing and over-incarceration—is ineffective and does not make our communities safer. Instead, D.C. must prioritize systems and programs that provide holistic security and support our communities. We believe this approach will make our communities safer, and help the District’s young residents grow into healthy, successful adults.

The American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia (ACLU-D.C.) wants to ensure that D.C.'s leaders are advocating for sensible, evidence-based reforms of criminal justice policies. This performance oversight testimony urged the D.C. Council to provide robust oversight of the Department of Corrections (DOC) and to address the systemic injustices perpetuated by the District’s decades-long carceral approach to public safety.

On Thursday, December 4, 2025, Councilmember Brooke Pinto, Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, held a public hearing on public safety in the District as well as B26-358, the “First Responder Retention Efforts,” B26-0052, the “Evidence-Based Gun Violence Reduction and Prevention Act of 2025,” B26-328, the “Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act of 2025,” and B26-411, the “Child Fatality Review Committee Amendment Act of 2025,” and B26-0461, the “Juvenile Curf Amendment Act of 2025.” ACLU-D.C. provided testimony only on public safety in the District and the Juvenile Curfew Amendment Act.

We urge the D.C. Council to take immediately to address the egregious and inhumane conditions of the D.C. Jail facilities, the complete lack of transparency and accountability demonstrated by the D.C. Department of Corrections (DOC)