DC CRIMES Act

This bill, titled the 'DC CRIMES Act,' enacts several significant changes to criminal justice in the District of Columbia. It amends the Youth Rehabilitation Amendment Act of 1985 to redefine youth offender status , limiting it to individuals 18 years of age or younger, a reduction from the previous age of 24. Furthermore, the legislation prohibits the issuance of sentences less than mandatory-minimum terms for these youth offenders, along with making conforming amendments to related provisions. A key provision directs the Attorney General for the District of Columbia to establish and operate a publicly accessible website dedicated to juvenile crime statistics. This website must be updated monthly and include detailed data such as: Total number and percentage of juveniles arrested, broken down by age, race, and sex. Arrests for petty crimes versus crimes of violence. First offenses versus repeat offenses, including the number of previous arrests. Prosecution declination rates and sentencing outcomes, including adult trials and sentence lengths. The Attorney General is granted access to juvenile case, social, and law enforcement records for this purpose, while ensuring no personally identifiable information is disclosed. Finally, the bill amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to impose a significant restriction on the Council of the District of Columbia. It explicitly prohibits the Council from enacting any changes to existing mandatory minimum sentences or criminal sentencing guidelines that are in effect on the date of the Act's enactment. This measure aims to prevent local legislative bodies from altering established sentencing policies.