H.R. 4922: DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act

This bill, known as the DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act, seeks to implement several changes to the treatment of juvenile offenders and the reporting of juvenile crime statistics in the District of Columbia.

Youth Offenders

The bill proposes to limit the classification of youth offenders to individuals aged 18 years or younger. This change means:

• The Youth Rehabilitation Act, which currently considers individuals up to 24 years old as youth offenders, will be amended to reflect this new age limit.
• Provisions for the treatment and community service for youth offenders will also be adjusted to apply only to those aged 15 to 18 years.

Additionally, the bill proposes to amend existing laws concerning sentencing. It stipulates that no sentence can be issued that is less than a mandatory minimum term for youth offenders.

Juvenile Crime Statistics Website

The bill requires the Attorney General of the District of Columbia to establish and operate a publicly accessible website that will display updated statistics on juvenile crime. The website will provide information such as:

• Total number of juveniles arrested each year.
• Breakdown of juvenile arrests by age, race, and sex.
• Statistics on arrests for petty crimes like vandalism, theft, and shoplifting.
• Details on arrests for violent crimes.
• Information on first-time offenders compared to repeat offenders.
• The declination rate for prosecutions by the Office of the Attorney General.
• Statistics on juveniles tried as adults and those sentenced to misdemeanors versus felonies.
• Length of sentences served by juveniles in correctional facilities.

The information on this website will be updated monthly, archived for historical reference, and will not contain any personally identifiable information about the juveniles.

Prohibition on Changes to Criminal Sentences

The bill will also amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to prohibit the Council of the District of Columbia from enacting any changes to existing criminal liability sentences. This means that once this act is passed, the existing sentences cannot be altered through new rules or resolutions by the Council.

Implementation Timeline

The Attorney General must establish the website as specified within 180 days following the enactment of this legislation.

Relevant Companies

None found.