Legislation

Young people in D.C. deserve policies that consider their wellbeing, that truly address the challenges they and their communities are facing, and that de-center policing and carceral-centric strategies. D.C.’s Black youth, in particular, deserve to not only be heard, but be protected like anybody else; not further criminalized in the place they call home.

Among other things, ACLU-D.C. urges the Council to put pressure on MPD to implement all recommendations from the Office of the D.C. Auditor (Auditor) and Office of Police Complaints (OPC); pass legislation prohibiting all District government entities, including all entities designated as law enforcement, from collaborating with any federal agency for the purpose of carrying out immigration enforcement; and taking a more compassionate approach to concerns about youth misbehavior, by investing in proven crime prevention strategies, rather than punitive ones, like the youth curfew.

The ACLU-D.C. supports FY27 funding levels for DPR at or above FY26 levels, which will allow the department to continue to invest necessary funds in accessible facilities and programming for all D.C. residents. We are particularly concerned that the Mayor’s proposed budget does not fund DPR at the correct level to provide young people and their families with safe spaces to grow and develop. Cuts to DPR’s operating budget will make it more difficult for DPR to provide robust, youth-centered programming that is both fully staffed and accessible to residents across the District’s eight wards. Our communities can flourish when we take a preventive, rather than punitive, approach to youth development and public safety. We believe funding levels that support DPR’s full operating needs will help implement this holistic approach, thereby making our communities safer, and helping the District’s young residents grow into healthy, successful adults.

B26-572 would ensure that all child support payments go directly to the families on whose behalf they are collected, helping to shore up financial resources for children.

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.