DC area prosecutors pledge to visit local correctional facilities

Gabby Allen
·2 min read

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Prosecutors from all over the country – many of whom are in the DMV area – signed a pledge to conduct prison, jail and juvenile facility visits.

In a release from Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP), over 60 prosecutors signed on to a pledge to take steps toward gaining a better understanding of incarceration in the U.S.

In the letter, prosecutors acknowledged their significant role in the criminal justice system, especially when it comes to if, when and how incarceration is used in the United States.

The prosecutors announced that they were joining Families Against Mandatory Minimum’s (FAMM) #VisitAPrison Challenge.

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The campaign encourages state and federal lawmakers and policymakers to visit a prison in their states or districts, according to its website.

“Policymakers have the power to improve prisons, but many have never stepped foot inside a facility or spoken to an incarcerated person. We challenge them to visit a prison and learn about the problems there and meet the people inside, who deserve humane and rehabilitative treatment,” reads the FAMM website.

Prosecutors who signed the pledge said they plan on personally visiting the local prisons, jails and juvenile facilities at which people who are prosecuted by their offices are detained or sentenced.

They also pledged to make these expectations part of ongoing mandatory training and job expectations for line prosecutors, underscoring that “this is an integral part of the performance of their duties,” the FJP release stated.

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Among the dozens of prosecutors who signed the pledge, many are located in the D.C. area, including:

  • Amy Ashworth — Commonwealth’s Attorney, Prince William Co., Va.

  • Parisa Dehghani-Tafti — Commonwealth’s Attorney, Arlington Co. and the City of Falls Church, Va.

  • Steve Descano — Commonwealth’s Attorney, Fairfax Co., Va.

  • Elizabeth K. Humphries Commonwealth’s Attorney, City of Fredericksburg, Va.

  • Aisha Braveboy — State’s Attorney, Prince George’s Co., Md.

  • Brian Schwalb — Attorney General, District of Columbia

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Descano wrote, “I’ve joined 65 other prosecutors in a pledge to visit our local correctional facilities. It’s imperative that our office see & understand the impacts of incarceration so that we can make choices that better serve long-term public safety.”

“At a time when national, state, and local policymakers and criminal justice stakeholders are considering how to shrink the footprint of the justice system and how we move away from “tough-on-crime” carceral policies of the past, it is vital for prosecutors to understand the true impact of their decisions and to see firsthand the jails, prisons, and juvenile facilities in their jurisdiction,” FJP’s release read.

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