Blackburn, Senate GOP Colleagues Introduce Bill to Eliminate D.C. Soft-On-Crime Laws

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Lindsey Graham(R-S.C.) today introduced the Just Incarceration of Criminal Elements (JUSTICE) in D.C. Act, which would eliminate two Washington, D.C. laws - the Incarceration Reduction Act and the Second Look Amendment Act - that have allowed criminals to be improperly and prematurely released solely because they were under the age of 25 when they committed a crime, including murder, regardless of the severity of the crime or the length of their initial sentence:

"Washington, D.C.'s soft-on-crime policies have empowered violent criminals to become repeat offenders-allowing them prematurely back onto the street simply because they are under the age of 25," said Sen. Blackburn. "Our JUSTICE in D.C. Act would help restore law and order by getting rid of two reckless D.C. laws so that criminals are not improperly and prematurely released."

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"The Incarceration Reduction Act and Second Look Amendment Act exemplify the mindless policies of D.C.'s progressive city council that have incentivized crime in our nation's capital for far too long," said Sen. Cornyn. "The JUSTICE in D.C. Act puts common sense back at the forefront of D.C.'s justice system by ensuring no offender receives a shortened sentence just because they committed a crime - including murder - before the age of 25. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro has called for these ridiculous laws to be eliminated, and I couldn't agree more."<_u13a_p><_o3a_p>

"Our country has endured far too many horrific acts of violence because of weak sentencing and the premature release of dangerous criminals in Democrat-run cities like Washington, D.C.," said Sen. Budd. "My home state of North Carolina has suffered as well-just last month, a young Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte was brutally murdered by a repeat offender with fourteen prior arrests. These 'criminal reform' experiments have delivered neither safety, justice, nor rehabilitation. It is long past time to put a stop to them. I am proud to stand with Senator Cornyn in creating strict standards to prevent judges from releasing violent offenders onto the streets of D.C."

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"Repealing these foolish, soft-on-crime laws is an important step in Making DC Safe Again," said Sen. Graham. "Our work on this legislation would ensure that violent criminals are not set free early solely based on age. This reckless practice needs to end now."

BACKGROUND

The District of Columbia Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA) of 2016, which was expanded by the D.C. Second Look Amendment Act (SLAA) in 2021, permits a defendant who has been convicted of committing any crime before the age of 25 to move for a sentence reduction after serving only 15 years in prison, regardless of how long their original sentence of incarceration is. It also expressly provides the factors that a judge must rely on in determining whether to release an inmate, and these factors purposely do not include the "nature of the offense." This is not only contrary to federal sentencing law, but prevents a judge entertaining a release motion from a violent felon from being able to properly weigh the seriousness of the crime, tilting the scales toward release.<_u13a_p><_o3a_p>

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The Just Incarceration of Criminal Elements (JUSTICE) in D.C. Act would eliminate the Incarceration Reduction Act and Second Look Amendment Act, ensuring that criminals are not improperly and prematurely released solely because they happened to be under the age of 25 when they committed a crime, including robbery or murder. Importantly, the law does not amend the standard parole and probation processes for criminals in D.C., leaving open avenues for truly rehabilitated individuals to be released from prison in the normal course. The law would also change the existing grant scheme provided in the IRAA and SLAA, which presently awards funds to released criminals, and would instead direct these funds to victims of violent crimes.<_u13a_p><_o3a_p>

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