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| Law Seeks to Limit Late-Night Jail Releases |
| By thedailybeast.com - Chris Opfer |
| Published: 05/14/2012 |
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Anyone who’s scaled the long, steep escalator at the Dupont Circle Metro station, taking stairs two and three at a time, only to find the last train already gone at 12:03 a.m. on a Thursday night, or participated in the bobbing-for-apples exercise that is Union Station’s “cab stand” after dark knows just how difficult it can be for generally law-abiding citizens to find late-night transportation in the nation’s capital. Hitching a ride in the wee hours of the night becomes an even trickier proposition when you’re just outside the walls of city lockup wearing a prison-issued sweatsuit. This, essentially, is the idea behind a proposed law that would fine D.C. jailers each time they release a prisoner overnight, a measure that follows a similar effort in one state that so far has garnered mixed results. “We do not help inmates’ ability to reenter society when we’re releasing them late at night without access to any services,” said D.C. Councilman Phil Mendelson. “On top of that, it’s just wrong to be releasing these people in the middle of the night.” Last year, Mendelson introduced legislation that would fine D.C.’s Department of Corrections $1,000 each time it releases an inmate after 10 p.m. He argues that inmates should be released during daytime hours so that they have access to basic services that many need after a stretch behind bars, including food and shelter. “A lot of these people who are released are really lacking in any resources. They may have bus fare, but of course there may not be a bus at 2 in the morning,” said Mendelson. Read More. |
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