U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) have introduced the Just Incarceration of Criminal Elements (JUSTICE) in D.C. Act. The bill seeks to repeal two Washington, D.C. laws—the Incarceration Reduction Act and the Second Look Amendment Act—that allow for the early release of individuals who committed crimes before turning 25.
Senator Graham stated, “Repealing these foolish, soft-on-crime laws is an important step in Making DC Safe Again. Our work on this legislation would ensure that violent criminals are not set free early solely based on age. This reckless practice needs to end now.”
Senator Cornyn commented, “The Incarceration Reduction Act and Second Look Amendment Act exemplify the mindless policies of D.C.’s progressive city council that have incentivized crime in our nation’s capital for far too long. The JUSTICE in D.C. Act puts common sense back at the forefront of D.C.’s justice system by ensuring no offender receives a shortened sentence just because they committed a crime – including murder – before the age of 25. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro has called for these ridiculous laws to be eliminated, and I couldn’t agree more.”
Senator Budd added, “Our country has endured far too many horrific acts of violence because of weak sentencing and the premature release of dangerous criminals in Democrat-run cities like Washington, D.C. My home state of North Carolina has suffered as well—just last month, a young Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte was brutally murdered by a repeat offender with fourteen prior arrests. These ‘criminal reform’ experiments have delivered neither safety, justice, nor rehabilitation. It is long past time to put a stop to them. I am proud to stand with Senator Cornyn in creating strict standards to prevent judges from releasing violent offenders onto the streets of D.C.”
Senator Blackburn said, “Washington, D.C.’s soft-on-crime policies have empowered violent criminals to become repeat offenders—allowing them prematurely back onto the street simply because they are under the age of 25. Our JUSTICE in D.C. Act would help restore law and order by getting rid of two reckless D.C. laws so that criminals are not improperly and prematurely released.”
The District’s Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA) was enacted in 2016 and expanded by the Second Look Amendment Act (SLAA) in 2021. These laws allow individuals convicted before age 25 to seek sentence reductions after serving 15 years, regardless of their original sentence length or offense severity. Judges considering release do not weigh the nature of the offense under current guidelines.
The proposed JUSTICE in D.C. Act would repeal both IRAA and SLAA but would leave standard parole and probation procedures unchanged for those seeking release through regular channels if they demonstrate rehabilitation. Additionally, funds currently allocated to released offenders under existing grant programs would instead be redirected to victims of violent crimes.
