Friend –

Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the D.C. Jail uprising, in which incarcerated residents took over the Jail to address the inhumane conditions they endured. Months before the uprising in 1972, the ACLU published a report that exposed the unsanitary conditions, lack of medical care, and brutal treatment of residents.

The residents demanded immediate systemic changes to address overcrowding, poor food quality, and the treatment of youth who faced additional safety risks by being housed with adults. Eventually, an agreement was reached to improve conditions, and no one suffered serious injury. “We want you to understand one thing very clearly,” one resident told a Washington Post reporter. “This is not a riot; it’s a revolution.”

Fifty years later, residents and workers continue to face discrimination, harassment, and life-threatening conditions. The ACLU-D.C. has sued the Department of Corrections (DOC) over these inhumane conditions, but lawsuits have not been enough to keep residents safe. This year alone, seven people have died at the D.C. Jail.

Real change requires independent oversight to prevent inhumane conditions and to hold DOC accountable for past wrongdoing.

The D.C. Council has the power to create a permanent, independent oversight body to review Department of Corrections facilities and practices. An independent oversight body with unrestricted access to the Jail can help address the egregious and inhumane conditions at the facilities and notify both the Council and the public of their findings.

The D.C. Council needs to hear from you. Send a message urging your Councilmembers to introduce legislation to create this much-needed oversight body.

Thank you for standing with us,

Nassim Moshiree
Pronouns: she/her
Policy Director, ACLU of the District of Columbia