Introduction of the Improving Reentry for District of Columbia Residents in the Bureau of Prisons Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Improving Reentry for District of Columbia Residents in the Bureau of Prisons Act of 2025. This bill would require the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to place D.C. residents serving sentences for D.C. Code felonies in BOP facilities within 250 miles of D.C. Under the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997, individuals serving sentences for D.C. Code felonies are in BOP custody.

Currently, more than 2,000 D.C. residents are serving sentences for D.C. Code felonies, and they are in BOP facilities across the United States. While Congress will not provide funding to BOP to build a new facility for these D.C. residents, there are more than enough existing BOP facilities within 250 miles of D.C. to house all these D.C. residents. Under this bill, BOP could place a D.C. resident outside 250 miles upon the request or consent of a resident, and BOP could place a D.C. resident outside 250 miles without consent in extraordinary circumstances.

This bill would help D.C. residents in BOP maintain relationships with family and support networks and reenter the community after prison.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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