S. 2686: DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act

The bill titled "DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act" proposes several changes regarding how youth offenders are treated under the law in the District of Columbia and aims to improve public access to information about juvenile crime. The main points of the bill are as follows:

Changes to Youth Offender Status

The bill aims to revise the definition of a youth offender in the District of Columbia from individuals who are 24 years old or younger to those who are 18 years old or younger. This change means that anyone aged 19 to 24 will no longer be classified as a youth offender under the law.

• The existing provisions regarding the rehabilitation and treatment of youth offenders will be adjusted to exclude individuals aged 19 to 24.
• Requirements for community service under probation orders for these individuals will also be limited to those aged 18 and younger.
• The bill proposes to eliminate the option for judges to issue sentences below mandatory minimum terms for youth offenders.

Establishment of a Juvenile Crime Statistics Website

The Attorney General for the District of Columbia would be directed to create and maintain a publicly accessible website that provides updated statistics on juvenile crime. This website would include:

• Total number of juveniles arrested annually, segmented by age, race, and sex.
• Statistics on juvenile arrests for minor offenses such as vandalism, theft, and shoplifting.
• Information on violent crime arrests, first offenses, previous arrests, and prosecution rates.
• Monthly updates on these statistics to ensure the information remains current.
• Historical data archived for indefinite public access and available in a machine-readable format for those who wish to download it.
• Protection of personally identifiable information of juvenile offenders in the data presented.

Prohibition on Changing Criminal Sentencing Guidelines

The bill would amend the Home Rule Act for the District of Columbia to prevent the Council from enacting any changes to existing criminal liability sentences, specifically prohibiting any modifications to mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines that are in effect as of the date the bill is enacted. This means that the established minimum sentences could not be amended by the local government.

Implementation Timeline

The Attorney General is required to establish the crime statistics website within 180 days following the enactment of this legislation.

Relevant Companies

None found.