For decades, detainee advocates have argued that the D.C. jail is unsafe, unsanitary and inhumane. Then, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and some of her GOP colleagues visited individuals allegedly involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, who were housed there. This obnoxious political stunt had a perhaps unintended side effect; conservative interest in jail conditions gave further momentum to complaints that progressives, not to mention the facility’s primarily minority population, have been lodging for nearly 50 years.
Washington, D.C
Opinion | D.C.’s jail is finally getting an update. Just not the one it needs.
Thankfully, the city’s most recent budget allocates $463 million to upgrade the D.C. jail. Even so, that doesn’t mean some of the worst conditions will be fixed soon. In fact, the current plan puts the needs of only a small portion of those held at D.C. jail ahead of the rest.
Local officials agree on replacing the current facility. The main building, which opened in 1976, has experienced 10 deaths in the last 17 months. Five of these deaths occurred this year. The jail’s rigorous covid-19 policy confined detainees to their cells for 23 hours a day during the pandemic. A surprise inspection by the U.S. Marshals Service in 2021 further fueled outrage, finding instances of food withholding and a strong smell of backed-up sewage.
But agreement in principle has not yet led to shovels in the ground. Official discussions for a new jail in D.C. began 14 years ago, when the Department of Corrections requested $420 million in funding for a new facility. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and corrections officials have consistently argued that the new jail and renovated treatment facility are urgent needs. But, thanks to concerns over a clear execution strategy, any time money for the jail was included in the budget, it was promptly pushed out again. Until this latest round.
Money in hand, now, city officials have to figure out how to spend it to do the most good for the most detainees. Disagreements persist on how to do that — and the city’s current plan has it wrong. The D.C. Department of Corrections released a new timeline this month for the facility’s transformation. Under the plan, renovating the deficient primary holding space would not be complete until 2034 at best. The plan splits up the construction project with into two phases. The city would start by constructing a small administrative and behavioral health facility, then move to upgrading the existing housing for the general population.
The idea is that the current jail has bigger problems than the deterioration of the facility’s physical structure. Broader investment in the DOC, along with enhanced programming, educational opportunities and treatment for detainees’ physical and mental ailments, is necessary to change the current culture of D.C. jail so that its inhabitants can more easily reintegrate into society. And that requires building the behavioral health facility.
But, while accommodating special needs and services is undoubtedly important, D.C. officials should focus on general housing first. Of course, rehabilitation is important for transitioning back to life after detention. But the main facility’s current dilapidated state is not a safe and rehabilitative environment for any of the over 1,300 people locked up. By swapping the two phases and putting general housing ahead of specialized services, officials could provide these people with better living conditions and programming opportunities sooner, rather than leaving them to languish for another decade after so many years of neglect.
That doesn’t mean D.C. should set aside its plans for the behavioral health facility — quite the contrary. The city has an opportunity to join others in the nation committing themselves to comprehensive services for those behind bars, designed not merely to improve living conditions but also to increase their chances of successfully reentering society. Maryland public safety officials, for instance, are pushing ahead with plans for a $1 billion jail, hospital, and mental health and substance use treatment facility in Baltimore at the site of the previous detention center. The complex is set to open in 2029. By allocating funding promptly as well as responsibly, D.C. can start down the same path to providing all in its jail a safe, clean and truly rehabilitative environment.
Washington, D.C
Suburban family coordinated Jimmy Carter's Washington D.C. funeral: 'It was really beautiful'
WASHINGTON (WLS) — The public funeral celebrating former President Jimmy Carter’s life and legacy was coordinated by a family that hails from the Chicago suburbs.
Rick Jasculca, a Chicago public affairs executive, worked for and with Carter for years, and considered him family.
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It was a somber day that included stories of Carter that brought laughs, as well as tears.
Thursday was a national day of mourning to honor and remember Carter; President Joe Biden delivered a eulogy.
“Throughout his life he showed us what it means to be a practitioner of good works, a good and faithful servant of God and of the people,” Biden said.
The gathering was a time for the nation to come together, to put aside politics and join the Carter family in remembering the legacy of the 39th president.
“They were small town people who never forgot who they were and where they were from, no matter what happened in their lives,” grandson Jason Carter said.
Jasculca worked on Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign, and did advance work when Carter became president.
He later joined his daughters, Lauren and Aimee, and son, Andrew, working with the Carter Center.
The four family members served as overall coordinators of the ceremony Thursday in Washington, D.C.
Jasculca reflected on the ceremony before returning to Chicago.
“It was really beautiful. You know, I think it really captured the totality of Jimmy Carter,” Jasculca said.
It was a sentiment echoed often during Thursday’s ceremony.
“He had the courage and strength to stick to his principals, even when they were politically unpopular,” Jason Carter said.
Jasculca considered Carter a second father, who became dear to his entire family.
“My grandkids call me ‘Bop’; that’s their name for me. And they call President Carter ‘Bop Jimmy,’” Jasculca said.
Jasculca said, during their ceremony, he had a few moments. But, the emotions really hit him after.
“But, when we got to Andrews Air Force Base, and I knew this was the last time, you know, I’d be able to say goodbye, I just I, I’ll be honest, I bust out crying on the tarmac,” Jasculca said.
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Former President Jimmy Carter’s life and legacy will be honored with a national day of mourning and a state funeral at the National Cathedral Thursday where family, friends and fellow leaders will pay their respects. TODAY’s Craig Melvin reports from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C
Capitol Police arrest man attempting to set his car on fire amid Trump DC visit with GOP senators
The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) said that they arrested a person who attempted to set his car ablaze near the U.S. Capitol building during President-elect Trump’s visit late Wednesday.
“Twice today our officers stopped a man who could have been a danger to the Capitol Hill community,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said. “This vigilance is critical during this time of heightened security.”
The agency said that during Trump’s visit with Republican senators and his time paying respect to President Carter, a 35-year-old man from Virginia attempted to set his car on fire.
POLICE ARREST MAN AFTER ATTEMPTING TO CARRY MACHETE, 3 KNIVES INTO US CAPITOL, HOURS BEFORE TRUMP ARRIVES
A general view of the U.S. Capitol Dome in Washington, D.C. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst )
Police said that just before 5:30 p.m., USCP officers were alerted to a man who had parked on First Street, NW, near the Grant Memorial, and had lit a bag on fire atop his vehicle.
POLICE ARREST MAN AT US CAPITOL WHO HAD BOTTLES OF FUEL, FLARE GUN, BLOW TORCH
When officers ran over to the man, the bag extinguished on its own.
The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. (Reuters/Jason Reed)
Out of an abundance of caution, the USCP said that the vehicle was declared suspicious, and the agency’s Hazardous Incident Response Division cleared the vehicle.
Officials determined that the car was not a danger at approximately 7 p.m.
The car had been spray-painted. Investigators determined that accelerants were in the bag. The driver was arrested for unlawful activities.
The U.S. Capitol Police stopped a man from entering the Capitol at a security checkpoint, after he was found to allegedly have a machete and three knives in his bag. (U.S. Capitol Police)
Hours prior to this arrest, the USCP detained a man who attempted to carry a machete into the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC).
The Capitol Police said in a social media post that the incident happened just after 2 p.m., when officers working at a security screening at the CVC’s north doors spotted a machete in the man’s bag.
The X-ray machine was stopped as the bag went through, then police arrested 44-year-old Mel J. Horne, of Washington, D.C., before securing the machete.
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Police said Horne was arrested for multiple counts of carrying a dangerous weapon and will be interviewed by investigators to determine his motive.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
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