February 6, 2023–Due Process Institute and a diverse coalition of criminal justice organizations urged members of the House of Representatives to oppose any obstruction of the District of Columbia’s Revised Criminal Code of 2022 (RCCA), including any resolution of disapproval or budget rider. The RCAA is the product of 16 years of research, an expert commission, 51 public meetings, extensive public feedback, and robust negotiation. As such, the D.C. Council voted unanimously to pass the RCCA and the RCCA is supported by 83% of District voters. Opponents of the RCCA, however, are spreading misinformation about the RCCA’s impact in a blatant attempt to erode home rule and trample on the rights of District residents.
First, Washingtonians know best how to address criminal justice policies in their community and deserve the right to determine their own laws. Local leaders are better positioned and retain more expertise to address safety and justice issues in the District than Congress. Second, the RCCA is a long-overdue modernization of the D.C. Criminal Code. Since the 1960s, dozens of states have embarked on criminal code reforms, removing obsolete provisions, ensuring sentences are proportionate and equitable, and simplifying overlapping charges. The RCCA follows that trend – the District last comprehensively revised the criminal code in 1901. A revision to reflect best practices in sentencing and criminological evidence is necessary. Third, to arrive at this revision, the District engaged in a thorough, transparent, and evidence-based process. Finally, the RCCA is a balanced bill – bringing the District in line with national sentencing norms by lengthening some sentences, reducing some maximums, and other reforms. The RCCA includes many modernizations, such as aligning D.C. with the majority of the country by creating the right to a jury trial for misdemeanors.
The people and leaders of the District support the RCCA. The RCCA is also backed by an abundance of research, data, and stakeholder feedback. Attempts by Congress to intervene are rooted in efforts to end home rule and falsehoods. We urge you to respect the will of Washingtonians and oppose all efforts, whether a resolution of disapproval or budget rider, to obstruct the RCCA.