About the DC Jail

• The DC Jail has 1,400 residents (as of Oct 2020). Prior to COVID, there were between 1,800-1,900 residents. The DC jail consists of Central Detention Facility, which holds the majority of residents, and Central Treatment Facility. Average length of incarceration at the jail is 60-90 days, though some individuals are there much longer.
• In addition to the DC Jail, there are about 5,000 DC residents in federal (Bureau of Prisons) and private prisons around the country, as DC no longer has its own prison.
• The DC Jail places a special emphasis on education and vocational training. Georgetown University runs a Prison Scholars program at the jail. Residents run their own newspaper and have an internal podcast. See more here.
• In 2018, the DC Department of Corrections created the Young Men Emerging unit, an innovative approach that pairs young adults, 18-25 years old, with older mentees. The program focuses on community, rehabilitation, and a support structures.  Learn more here and here.
• 40% of residents at the DC jail are there for reasons such as: parole or probation violations (20%), simple assault (12%), and drug offenses (11%).
• The population at the DC Jail is predominantly male and African American (92% for each), even though the white and Latinx communities are growing faster in the District. “Black people incarcerated in DOC custody had a longer median unsentenced length of stay than white people for nearly every charge category.” (District Taskforce on Jails and Justice, 2019, p. 22)
• Young adults (age 18-25) make up 38% of the population at the jail and across the DC Department of Corrections, even though young adults are only 11% of DC’s total population.
• More than 60% of residents have a substance use disorder, a serious mental illness, or both. 
• “Temperature control has been a persistent challenge and the physical structure [of the jail] is crumbling, which has resulted in entire tiers being shuttered.” (Public Welfare Foundation, 2019, p.21)
• Less than 1% of DC’s incarcerated population has a postsecondary education.

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