WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal lawyers will examine how the D.C. Department of Corrections runs the jail in Washington, a probe meant to find out whether the way it holds inmates breaks the Constitution.
The Justice Department told Mayor Muriel Bowser about the probe on Monday. Its lawyers will look for a pattern or practice of rights violations, relying on a federal law known as CRIPA that covers jails, prisons and similar institutions.
The complaints that reached federal officials cover four broad areas: excessive force by staff, poor medical care, unsafe and unsanitary living conditions, and inadequate food. The department said it has not reached any conclusions.
According to the notice sent to the mayor, investigators will review how all inmates have been treated since January 2021.
Problems at the facility are not new. A May 2025 report from the D.C. auditor described a deteriorating building that should be replaced quickly and found that weak staff training hurt inmate safety. City leaders have talked about building a new jail since 2010 but have never settled on a plan.
The federal move came only days after six people who had been held at the jail sued, saying they were repeatedly given meals with dead mice and insects in them. Other lawsuits over medical care and a cell fire are still pending.
City lawyers in the attorney general’s office would not discuss the probe. People with information can report it through the department’s online portal.
Section: More Washington DC crime news
Filed under: Washington DC Public Safety News
