Councilmember Charles Allen, Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, issued the following statement regarding the Office of the DC Auditor report on DC Jail. Tomorrow, Friday, March 1 beginning at 1 pm in room 123 at the John A. Wilson Building. Statement:

“This report confirms a lot of what we already know – DC desperately needs a new facility, and the challenges of the current one are many – while also providing new insights I will discuss tomorrow during the Department of Corrections’ annual performance oversight hearing. Jails reflect a community’s values, and they must afford dignity to inmates and improve public safety outcomes. Last year, I identified $150,000 to create a commission to provide recommendations to the Council and Mayor on the design and construction of a new correctional facility.

Our current facility was built nearly a half century ago. So much has changed in what we know about successful rehabilitation, and the next facility, as urgently as it is needed, must have meaningful engagement and buy-in from a diversity of stakeholders. This process will create the necessary blueprint for moving forward. In the interim, we must provide humane and dignified conditions.”