WASHINGTON, DC – The Superior Court of the District of Columbia (“the Court”) and DC Department of Corrections (DOC) today announced the upcoming implementation of a pilot ‘courthouse release’ program to begin this summer.  The new program will reduce the number of defendants who must return to the DC Jail at the end of each court day, solely to be processed out.  This, in turn, will allow the DOC to focus on processing other defendants more promptly and releasing them earlier in the day. 
 
The pilot project, designed and implemented with the participation of the DC Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), will involve the release at the courthouse of those accused of misdemeanors and traffic offenses who are ordered released by a judge.  Current practice is to have such inmates – and the court order releasing them – conveyed back to the jail for processing.  Historically, that has been seen as necessary to afford DOC records staff adequate opportunity to make sure there were no other charges, detainers or warrants before carrying out a release order in a particular case.  During the pilot project, this processing will be done at the courthouse.  This will enable a large number of defendants to be released sooner and allow DOC Records Office staff to focus on defendants with felony charges and other matters. 
 
“This is a very welcome improvement.  There are often a number of local and national records that need to be checked, but it makes good sense to do the checking at the courthouse and release people directly from the courthouse,” said Superior Court Chief Judge Rufus G. King III. 
 
“I am highly pleased by the initiation of this project,” said Department of Corrections Director Devon Brown. “Not only will it improve coordination between the District of Columbia’s criminal justice partners, but better ensure that defendants are timely released when so ordered by the court.”