The District of Columbia has housed people convicted of DC Code offenses in federal Bureau of Prison (BOP) facilities since the closure of the Lorton Correctional Complex in 2001. Throughout this document, the term “DC Code offender” is used to refer to that population of people. The distinction between a DC Code offender and a DC resident is critical: DC Code offenders are convicted of District felonies, and they are sentenced by the DC Superior Court. They are not serving federal sentences, which affects the applicability of certain policies or legislation to this population. Also, DC Code offenders are not necessarily residents of the District of Columbia; rather, this term applies to any person who was convicted of a crime under the local DC Code, regardless of their home of residence. The distinctions are noteworthy considerations when reading this document, which contains information potentially applicable to both DC Code offenders and federal offenders.

The CIC created this legislative resource booklet to assist BOP staff and incarcerated people in understanding the circumstances unique to DC Code offenders in BOP custody. The booklet will be updated as necessary. Please contact the CIC if you have additional questions - or requests for additional topics of inclusion.