Statement by the U.S. Marshals Service

Washington, D.C. – During the week of October 18, the U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia conducted an unannounced inspection of the District of Columbia Department of Corrections (DC DOC) facilities that house several hundred detainees who are facing charges in the U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia and Maryland or are awaiting placement in a Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facility to serve their sentence. While the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) is responsible for the care and custody of these detainees, under an agreement between the federal and DC governments, the District of Columbia Department of Corrections is responsible for determining where within their corrections facilities the inmates will be housed; maintaining and staffing the physical facilities; and providing for detainees.

The U.S. Marshals Service inspection was prompted by recent and historical concerns raised regarding conditions at the District of Columbia Department of Corrections facilities, including those recently raised by various members of the judiciary.

The inspection encompassed two District of Columbia Department of Corrections housing facilities - the Central Treatment Facility (CTF) and the Central Detention Facility (CDF). During the unannounced inspection, the U.S. Marshal reviewed both housing facilities and conducted more than 300 voluntary interviews with detainees.

The U.S. Marshal's inspection of Central Treatment Facility did not identify conditions that would necessitate the transfer of inmates from that facility at this time. Central Treatment Facility houses approximately 120 detainees in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, including all the defendants in pre-trial custody related to alleged offenses stemming from events that took place on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol, as well as other federal detainees. Housing assignments for detainees are determined by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections.

The U.S. Marshal's inspection of Central Detention Facility revealed that conditions there do not meet the minimum standards of confinement as prescribed by the Federal Performance-Based Detention Standards. Central Detention Facility houses approximately 400 detainees in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Based on the results of the unannounced inspection, U.S. Marshals Service leadership made the decision to remove from Central Detention Facility all detainees under the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Working with the Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Marshals Service will transfer those detainees to USP Lewisburg in Pennsylvania. The Lewisburg BOP facility provides attorney and visitor areas, medical care, and video teleconferencing capabilities. The U.S. Marshals Service is committed to ensuring that detainees have adequate access to defense counsel, family support, medical care, and discovery related to their cases while in U.S. Marshals Service custody.

The U.S. Marshals Service has informed District of Columbia Department of Corrections of its findings, and the U.S. Marshals Service Prisoner Operations Division will work with District of Columbia Department of Corrections to initiate a corrective action plan.