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The "Sentencing Reform Amendment Act of 2000" (Bill 13-696) was due for a vote in D.C. City Council on June 6. This bill, introduced by Councilmember Harold Brazil, and co-sponsored by Councilmembers Jack Evans and Carol Schwartz, is the culmination of almost three years of rancorous debate and various betrayals of public trust committed by our local officials at the behest of Congress as they dealt with their imagined need to "simplify" our criminal sentencing laws (see S. Donkin, "Changes Looming for D.C.'s Criminal Justice System," Washington Peace Letter, May 2000, as well as previous reports in the Peace Letter Archives).

One member of the Advisory Commission on Sentencing, Robert Wilkins of the Public Defender Service (PDS), dissented to the Commission's recommendations to Council, which included abolishing parole for all felonies and creating the opportunity for imposing harsh sentencing guidelines (see R.L. Wilkins, "Setback for D.C. Justice," Washington Post, June 5, 2000, p. A17, as well as the dissenting opinion released by the PDS on May 5). Astonishingly, the bill crafted by City Council from the Commission's recommendations actually goes beyond those recommendations by, for instance, requiring the Commission to provide a recommendation to Council on sentencing guidelines by 2002, and by not requiring felons sentenced to life without parole to be 18 years or older (required under the current system). Sentencing guidelines limit the judge's discretion in sentencing offenders and enhance the power of prosecutors. Removing the 18-or-over requirement from life-without-parole sentences
increases overall time served.

Some modest amendments to Bill 13-696 were suggested by the PDS to soften the more egregious aspects of Council's ill-advised handiwork. These amendments, introduced by Councilmember Kevin Chavous, simply would require the law to state that the intent is not to increase time served and that judges should consider all relevant factors, including present time served, when devising a determinate sentencing system. However, when Councilmember Brazil noticed on June 6 that these amendments might
win the support of other councilmembers, he pulled the bill from a vote. Thus, Bill 13-696 remains unvoted upon at this point, with the rescheduled vote as yet undetermined

D.C. residents who are opposed to sacrificing another generation of our families and neighbors to the growing prison-industrial complex should contact Councilmember Brazil (202-724-8174, hbrazil@dccouncil.washington.dc.us) and voice their disapproval of his behavior. While you're doing that, also call your other councilmembers and tell them to support the Chavous amendments. To get a copy of Bill 13-696, call Legislative Services at (202) 724-8050, or read the text at www.dcwatch.com (this site also has the Commission's recommendations).

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