Criminal Justice

Building a fair and equitable adult criminal legal system.

Tackling Critical Justice Reform

At CCE, we are addressing the most critical criminal legal issues facing the District, including systemic barriers and racial disparities that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. We bring together diverse groups of impacted people and experts to build bridges and ensure that we have the best understanding of how the systems are working and how they could be better.

From advocating for alternatives to incarceration to improving reentry and conditions of confinement, CCE is committed to creating a system that prioritizes rehabilitation and addresses the root causes of crime, ultimately striving for a safer and more equitable community for all.

Man with glasses and braided hair speaking into a microphone at a public hearing on B25-291, the Safer Stronger Amendment Act of 2023.

40%

Approximately 40% of people incarcerated in D.C. have substance use disorders.

2020

D.C. has been without a men’s halfway house since 2020.

1 in 7

In D.C., one in seven adults have a criminal record, and about 20,000 District residents are under some form of correctional supervision on any given day.

95%

While Black people make up 47% of D.C.’s population, they are 86% of the people arrested, 90% of those jailed, and 95% of those in prison.

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Featured & Notable Projects

Second Chance Hiring Alliance

We’re building a coalition of D.C. area employers who provide employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated people.

District Task Force on Jails & Justice

We convened justice system stakeholders to make recommendations to lower incarceration rates by half, end the over-incarceration of Black people, regain local control over D.C.’s criminal legal system, and replace D.C.’s archaic jail with a more humane facility.

Criminal Legal Systems Overview Reports

We publish an annual report on D.C.’s justice system, covering issues including violence and policing, prosecution and the courts, adult incarceration, re-entry, and youth justice.

Sentencing and Incarceration

We are dedicated to ensuring that residents held in D.C. custody live in safe environments and receive the healthcare and rehabilitative services they need.

Recent Criminal Justice News

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Jails & Prisons

Criminal Justice

Sentencing

May 18, 2026

D.C. Jail Population Continues to Rise, New Analysis Shows

Burgeoning numbers at jail strains aging facility, DOC budget. As of May 2026, the population of the D.C. Jail is rising again, and is now higher than during the law enforcement surge of the summer and fall of 2025.

Courts

Criminal Justice

April 10, 2026

Spring 2026 CCE Newsletter

In this issue: insights from D.C.'s legal luminaries, strengthening oversight and accountability, advancing second chance hiring solutions, building community engagement through candidate forums and signature gatherings.