For decades, inmate advocates have argued that Washington's prisons are unsafe, unsanitary, and inhumane. Then, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (D-Ga.) and several of her Republican colleagues visited individuals held there who were allegedly involved in the January 6, 2021, riots. This unsavory political maneuver had a perhaps unintended side effect: Conservative attention to prison conditions further fueled complaints from progressives and the facility's largely minority population about its nearly 50 years of incarceration.
Thankfully, the city's latest budget allocates $463 million for jail renovations. But that doesn't mean some of the worst conditions will be improved anytime soon. In fact, the current plan prioritizes the needs of only a small portion of the people held in DC jails over others.
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Local officials have agreed to replace the current facility. Ten people have died in the main building, which opened in 1976, in the past 17 months, five of them this year. The prison's strict COVID-19 protocols meant inmates were locked in their cells for 23 hours a day during the pandemic. Surprise inspections by the U.S. Marshals Service in 2021 found cases of food being withheld and a strong smell of backed-up sewage, fueling further anger.
But the agreement in principle has yet to break ground. Formal talks on a new prison for DC began 14 years ago, when the Department of Corrections asked for $420 million for a new facility. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (Democrat) and Department of Corrections officials have consistently maintained that a new prison and revamped treatment facility are urgently needed. But concerns about a clear implementation strategy have quickly delayed each prison budget round — until this one.
Now that the money is in their hands, city officials must figure out how to spend it to achieve the best outcomes for the greatest number of inmates. Disagreements continue over how to do that, but the city's current plan is flawed. The D.C. Department of Corrections released a new timeline for facility renovations this month, under which renovations to inadequate main detention spaces won't be completed until 2034 at the earliest. The plan breaks down the construction project into two phases: the city will first build a small administrative and behavioral health facility, then move on to upgrading existing housing for the general population.
The belief is that the prison has bigger problems than the deterioration of the facility's physical structure. Changing the current culture of DC prisons to better reintegrate inmates back into society requires broader investment in the DOC, strengthening programs, educational opportunities, and treating inmates' physical and mental illnesses. And that requires building behavioral health facilities.
But while addressing special needs and services is undoubtedly important, DC officials should focus on general housing first. Of course, rehabilitation is important in the transition to life after detention, but the current dilapidated condition of the main facility does not provide a safe, rehabilitative environment for any of the 1,300-plus people held there. By swapping the two phases and prioritizing general housing over specialized services, officials could provide these people with better living conditions and program opportunities sooner, instead of letting them languish for another decade after years of neglect.
That doesn’t mean DC should abandon its plans for a mental health facility. Quite the opposite. DC has an opportunity to join other cities across the country in addressing comprehensive services for inmates in their jails, services that aim not only to improve their living conditions but also to increase their chances of successful reintegration into society. For example, Maryland public safety officials are moving forward with plans to build a $1 billion prison, hospital, and mental health and substance use disorder treatment facility on the site of Baltimore’s former jail. The facility is scheduled to open in 2029. By allocating funds quickly and responsibly, DC can begin on the same path of providing a safe, clean, and truly rehabilitative environment for all its inmates.
