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John,
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bills attacking Home Rule and rolling back decades of evidence-based criminal justice reforms in the District of Columbia. But the fight doesn’t stop here – we can block these bills in the Senate with your help.
These votes are a disturbing example of political theater masquerading as community safety, and they set a dangerous precedent for federal interference in local justice systems. These bills will mistreat vulnerable children in need of support, exacerbate racial disparities that already plague the District’s justice system, and make us less safe.
* H.R. 5140 would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to be charged as if they were adults, despite decades of research showing that youth prosecuted in the adult system are more likely to commit future violent offenses. Black youth account for over 93% of youth arrests in the District, despite making up just 59% of the youth population. Lowering the age at which children can be prosecuted as adults will funnel even more Black children into a system that was never designed to support their growth or rehabilitation. H.R. 5140 passed the House with 225 members voting in favor and 203 opposed.



Combined with proposed mandatory minimums in H.R. 5172, which has passed out of Committee and will likely soon be scheduled for a floor vote, this bill would result in unconstitutional mandatory life-without-parole sentences for children.




* H.R. 4922 targets the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA), a proven tool that allows judges to use discretion and evidence-based practices when sentencing young people. The YRA has been instrumental in reducing reoffending and supporting successful reentry. Gutting its most effective provisions would be a devastating setback for youth justice in DC. H.R. 4922 passed the House with 240 members voting in favor and 179 opposed.
With your support, we can stop these cruel sentencing bills through filibusters in the Senate.
[[link removed]] Kara Gotsch
Executive Director
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