Washington, D.C.'s 50-year-old jail complex has faced years of complaints about conditions for prisoners, including water leaks, overflowing sewage, abuse, and insufficient medical care, according to Time. The D.C. government has disputed many of these claims. Its mostly minority population has repeatedly called for improving the poor conditions made worse by COVID-19. Complaints of detainees from the Jan. 6, 2021,
capital insurrection held in the facility resulted in an inspection from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).
The inspection concluded that there was "evidence of systemic failure" at the jail, and it would move 400 federal detainees to a prison in Pennsylvania, away from inmates' family and legal counsel. Prisoners with pending court matters and medical issues will stay in the D.C. facility for now. The D.C. government has promised to improve conditions. A Task Force on Jails & Justice recommended building a new facility. Advocates say that the transfers are not enough to remedy current problems. The jail housed 937 detainees as of Dec. 24.
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