Justice Department Launches Civil Rights Investigation into D.C. Correctional Facilities

The U.S. Department of Justice notified District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser on Oct. 19 of a federal investigation into the District's Department of Corrections (D.C. DOC). The inquiry will examine whether the agency engages in a pattern or practice of violating the constitutional rights of prisoners and detainees held in its correctional facilities.

According to the Justice Department, the investigation is being conducted under its authority to enforce the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). The statute allows the federal government to investigate potential pattern-or-practice violations concerning the constitutional rights of individuals held in institutional care and confinement.

"The Constitution protects the rights of every incarcerated American, including those held in custody in our nation’s capital," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. "We are committed to upholding our federal civil rights laws so that no inmate is confined in unconstitutional conditions or subject to unconstitutional mistreatment at the District of Columbia Department of Corrections."

The federal action follows numerous allegations regarding conditions within D.C. DOC facilities, including findings in a report by the District of Columbia's own Auditor. The allegations against the department include failing to protect incarcerated individuals from excessive force, failing to provide adequate medical care, failing to maintain safe and sanitary physical conditions, and failing to provide adequate nutrition.

The Justice Department stated that it has not yet reached any conclusions regarding the allegations under review.

Source