After years of debate and funding delays, D.C. is in the first phase of designing a new D.C. jail after President-elect Donald Trump recently described the current jail as a “hell hole.”
The D.C. jail, housing almost 2,000 inmates in the shadow of RFK Stadium, is more than 50 years old.
“The structure of it, the design of it at the time, 50 years ago, you know, isn't up with new correctional practices, particularly in the area of providing space for critical space for programming, things like programming – education, treatment programs, reentry programs,” D.C. Department of Corrections Director Thomas Faust said.
The $463 million project is in the conceptual phase, Faust said. Artist renderings show how the new jail will change the look of the neighborhood when it’s complete.
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“One of the guiding principles is that it's a building that blends in with the community to, quote unquote, not look like a jail,” Faust said.
Conditions inside the jail have long been problematic and have gained national attention.
In his recent interview on “Meet the Press,” Trump spoke about the D.C. jail when answering a question about the Jan. 6 defendants – some of whom are still housed there.
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“And I hear the jail is a hell hole,” the president-elect said. “They’ve done reports. And you would say that’s true. They’ve done reports. This is the most disgusting, filthy place. These people are living in hell.”
He called it unfair.
“Well, I would not respond directly to him, but I certainly will respond to any such comments or like comments like that, that we are very proud of the fact that we are one of only about 12% of local jails throughout the entire United States that are fully accredited,” Faust said.
“So yes, while the facility CDF, central detention facility, is a 50-year-old facility and absolutely does need upgrades and changes, but in terms of the programs we run and how we run that facility, we run it to the and maintain it at the highest national standards that we meet,” he said.
While the new jail won’t be completed until 2031, Faust is excited about what it will mean for those being held there and their families.
“What we're so excited about is it's going to be transformative, not only in structural design, but more importantly, it's going to be transformative in terms of how we manage and how we are able to give services to those residents,” he said.
