Norton to Speak at the D.C. Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee’s Spring Meeting, Tonight

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will speak at the District of Columbia Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee's (CJCC) 2018 spring meeting tonight, Thursday, April 19, 2018, at the R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center (2730 MLK, Jr. Ave. SE). The meeting will focus on how District inmates are prepared for successful reentry. CJCC is an independent agency established by Congress to help coordinate the unique overlapping and joint relationship between District of Columbia and federal law enforcement authorities. Norton will speak about her meeting and work with the new federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director, Mark Inch, concerning D.C. Code felons, the only residents of a local jurisdiction housed at BOP facilities. Norton introduced a bill to eliminate the requirement that residents housed at BOP halfway houses pay a subsistence fee of 25 percent of their gross income to offset the cost of being housed.

"I appreciate the opportunity to inform residents of my ongoing discussions with BOP Director Mark Inch to ensure that D.C. returning citizens are equipped with the necessary skills and tools they need for successful reentry," Norton said. "I also want those who attend to help in my work to eliminate the mandatory subsistence fees paid by those housed at BOP halfway houses, which puts too heavy a financial burden on returning citizens, who usually have no job and, even if they do have one, need every dollar they earn to pay for necessities and support their children. I welcome and look forward to the continued dialogue from BOP, CJCC and other stakeholders surrounding reintegration at tonight's meeting."