There will be a public hearing in the D.C. Council from 9:30am to 3:30pm on Thursday October 7 for the Redefinition of a Child Amendment Act of 2021 – and we are asking D.C. statehood groups to show up for this statehood issue. 

Currently, the federally appointed United States Attorney’s Office has the unbridled discretion to file accusations against children in D.C. accused of certain crimes and move their cases to adult criminal court – a practice which has set countless District youth on a path to prisons hundreds of miles away from home, isolation from their families, denial of rehabilitative services, and punitive supervision — and does nothing to address the root causes of violence in our communities. It is also a racial justice issue, as nearly every single child tried as an adult in D.C. has been Black. 

The ACLU-DC is joining a coalition of local groups advocating for this critical criminal justice system reform which will move the power of of juvenile justice system back to the D.C. people. If the legislation is passed, only the D.C.-Elected Attorney General would have the discretion to transfer a D.C. child to adult court.

This is a D.C. statehood issue, as it moves powers of our criminal justice back to the people of D.C. — and we can do it within our own D.C. Council.

We are asking statehood groups to:

1) Add their names to the sign-on letter – attached – by contacting [email protected]. Please try to sign on as soon as possible so they can finalize the letter for delivery. 

2) To provide written or oral testify at the Oct 7 D.C. Council hearing. You must sign up to testify by emailing [email protected] by October 1.