Police & jail misconduct
DC Jail's in-custody death rate is three times the national average, per a joint Council for Court Excellence/DC Auditor report
Confidence: Confirmed · 1 sourceDistrict of Columbia · Sep 22, 2026
Subject of this story
DC Department of Corrections
Also named
Oversight
Office of the District of Columbia Auditor
Advocate
Council for Court Excellence
What happened
A report co-published by the Council for Court Excellence and the Office of the DC Auditor on May 28, 2025, covering July 2023-June 2024, found the DC Jail's mortality rate was three times the national average (8 deaths, 5 from overdoses), documented 1,595 emergency maintenance issues (mold, vermin, broken locks, plumbing/temperature failures), and found the DC Department of Corrections spent $30.9 million on overtime in FY24 (174% of budget) while 40% of resident grievances involved alleged staff misconduct. The report found DOC provided minimal transparency to families or oversight officials, and no DOC or mayoral response to the findings was documented.
Sources (1)
SourceReport co-published with the D.C. Auditor documents a mortality rate three times the national average, 1,595 emergency maintenance issues, and $30.9 million in FY24 overtime (174% of budget) at the DC Jail, covering July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024.
Response
DC Department of Corrections
No response by publication
Contacted — no response by publication.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.