Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility Recent Bookings And Arrests
What Happens After the Arrest, When in Booking?
The Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility, at:
1901 E Street, SE
District of Columbia, DC 20003
is operated by the D.C. Department of Corrections, which runs the local jail for District of Columbia. The District has no county sheriff, so the Department of Corrections holds adults awaiting trial on District felony and misdemeanor charges, along with people serving short misdemeanor sentences.
Most people do not arrive here straight from the street. After an arrest, the Metropolitan Police Department books the person first at a district station or its Central Cell Block, where officers photograph and fingerprint them, inventory property and run warrant checks. Only people a judge orders held after their first court appearance, or who cannot meet release conditions, are transferred to the Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility. Jail staff then repeat the intake steps, including a medical and mental health screening, before assigning housing.
Other agencies working in the District, such as the U.S. Park Police and U.S. Capitol Police, also make arrests that can end up here. The jail also holds many federal pretrial defendants for the U.S. Marshals.
Release Without Money Bail in District of Columbia
The District of Columbia relies on pretrial release conditions rather than cash. Under D.C. law a judge may not set a money bond as a way of keeping someone locked up, and most defendants are released on their own promise to return, sometimes with supervision by the Pretrial Services Agency, which interviews arrestees in the cellblock before court. There is effectively no commercial bail bond industry in the District. Someone arrested by MPD is normally brought before a D.C. Superior Court judge the next court day. Where a release option exists, our Bail page explains the steps.
Immigration Holds and ICE
The District’s Sanctuary Values Amendment Act generally bars the Department of Corrections and MPD from holding someone on an ICE detainer unless it comes with a judicial warrant or court order. That law has been targeted for repeal by Congress and by the mayor’s budget proposals, so practice can change; families can check federal custody through the ICE detainee locator.
Current residents can be searched on the Department of Corrections’ official inmate locator (opens in a new tab), which lists the person’s charges and custody status. For anything the locator does not answer, call the Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility at 202-523-7060.
Intake at the Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility usually takes several hours and can stretch through most of a day when a large group arrives from court at once.
Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility Booking FAQ
- How do I find out if someone has been arrested and booked into the Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility?
- What happens during booking in District of Columbia?
- What is the booking process like at the Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility?
- What kind of questions are asked during booking?
- What happens to an offender’s personal property during booking?
- What happens after booking?
- How long does the Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility booking process take?
How do I find out if someone has been arrested and booked into the Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility?
Right after an arrest, the person is usually still in MPD custody at a police district station or the Central Cell Block, not at the jail. The jail only receives people after a court appearance.
Once a judge orders someone held, you can call the Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility at 202-523-7060. Have the person’s full name and date of birth ready so staff can confirm you have the right individual.
It can take a day or more after the arrest before a new resident shows up in jail records.
You can also search the Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility Booking Roster online at any hour.
What happens during booking in District of Columbia?
Following an arrest in District of Columbia, MPD officers take the person to a district station for processing, then usually to the Central Cell Block to wait for their Superior Court hearing. A Pretrial Services Agency interviewer may speak with them there to prepare a release recommendation for the judge.
Defense lawyers routinely advise clients not to discuss the facts of the case with anyone during this time. Statements to officers or other detainees can be written down or recorded and used later in court.
What is the booking process like at the Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility?
Processing covers a booking photo, fingerprints and a long set of personal history and health questions. Records are checked for outstanding warrants in the District, in neighboring Maryland and Virginia, and nationwide. A DNA sample may be taken in some serious cases.
For impaired-driving arrests, a blood test generally requires the driver’s consent or a warrant, and refusing a breath or blood test can carry license penalties.
New arrivals at the jail are searched before housing, which can include a strip search and a body scanner, to keep weapons and drugs out of the facility.
What kind of questions are asked during booking?
Staff ask about current illnesses and medications, drug or alcohol use, allergies, any thoughts of self-harm, tattoos and scars, and whether the person has enemies or gang ties inside. The answers guide medical care and decide where it is safe to house them.
What happens to an offender’s personal property during booking?
Items taken at MPD processing may stay with the police as property or evidence, while belongings that arrive with the person at the jail are logged and stored until release. With the person’s written authorization, some items can be picked up by a relative or friend.
Stored items typically include street clothes, cash, cards, phones, keys, jewelry and piercings. Belts and shoelaces are removed because they could be used for self-harm.
What happens after booking?
The person gets a chance to call family or a lawyer to share the news and ask about release options. Since D.C. does not use bail bondsmen, release usually depends on the judge’s conditions rather than raising money.
Anyone housed at the Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility receives a jail uniform, footwear, bedding, a towel and basic hygiene supplies.
Before going to a housing unit they may be required to shower and be checked or treated for lice and other pests.
How long does the Washington DC Correctional Treatment Facility booking process take?
Jail intake commonly runs a few hours, but a full day is possible when many people are committed from court at the same time or staffing is short.
Someone who is intoxicated, ill or combative may be kept in a holding area until they are calm and medically cleared, which adds time.