In the last decade, the fight to reform our criminal justice system and reimagine our approach to public safety has engulfed mainstream media in a way not seen since the Civil Rights Movement.
This battle, long fought by advocates and communities of color, to seek justice for loved ones – both perpetrators and survivors of crime and systemic imbalance – is defining for today’s generation. As the former Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, Councilmember McDuffie has leveraged his experience as a civil rights attorney, unparalleled thinking, and elected office to introduce sweeping reforms to the District’s criminal code, offering legislators and policymakers across the United States a clear blueprint to achieve greater justice, equity, and reform.
Legislative Record:
- Passing the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results (NEAR) Act, which introduced a data-driven, community-oriented public safety approach that prioritizes public health and bolsters citywide violence prevention and intervention efforts.
- Helping usher in one of the nation’s first and most expansive police body-worn camera programs.
- Achieving comprehensive juvenile justice reform, ensuring that emerging scientific knowledge about adolescent development will is considered in court cases and tactics for adult offenders are not used to rehabilitate youth.
- Leading passage of the Racial Equity Achieves Results (REACH) Act to establish the DC Office of Racial Equity, ensure that all legislation undergoes a racial equity impact assessment before receiving a vote, and implement new tools and procedures to increase equity within the District Government.
- Calling for the establishment of a Reparations Foundation Fund and task force to assess and develop reparations proposals for African Americans — especially the descendants of slaves — living in the District of Columbia.