Norton Bill Strengthening Local D.C. Justice Process Signed into Law by President Obama
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that President Obama yesterday signed a bill introduced by Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) to modernize and improve the daily operations of the District of Columbia Courts, the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) and the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia (CSOSA). Norton introduced the same version of the bill in the 113th Congress and the House passed it by voice vote. The 1997 Revitalization Act transferred the costs and operations of some state functions, including these three agencies, to the federal government. The District of Columbia Courts, Public Defender Service, and Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency Act of 2015 was one of the first three bills signed into law in 2016 by President Obama.
Among other technical changes, the bill authorizes CSOSA to use incentives-based programs for offenders, instead of only sanctions to get compliance; allows PDS to accept and use public grants, voluntary and uncompensated services, such as unpaid law clerks and interns and private contributions made to advance PDS’s work; and allows the courts to collect debts owed by its employees to the courts.
“These changes are important to our courts and justice agencies,” Norton said. “For example, allowing parole officers and other CSOSA employees to rely on incentives and not only sanctions is an evidence-based method to encourage lasting compliance and law-abiding behavior. I am grateful to Senator Johnson for his strong leadership in seeing this important bill through to the end and signed into law. I look forward to working with him again on other legislation make improvements to the District.”