DC jail's death rate more than three times the national average, audit says

DC jail's death rate more than three times the national average

Conditions in the D.C. jail have gotten so bad, they’re endangering the lives of both inmates and corrections officers, according to a report from D.C.'s auditor. The report calls for the D.C. jail to be replaced "urgently."

WASHINGTON - Conditions in the D.C. jail have gotten so bad, they’re endangering the lives of both inmates and corrections officers, according to a report from D.C.'s auditor. The report calls for the D.C. jail to be replaced "urgently."

What we know:

The D.C. Auditor, Kathy Patterson, tells Fox 5 that the D.C. jail has a death rate more than three and a half times the national average for jails. The leading cause of death in the jail is overdose, and right now, the jail’s overdose rate is ten times the national average. Patterson says the current facility is outdated, dangerous, and in urgent need of replacement.

"Because as long as we have custody of individuals, we need to not risk their lives—and that goes not just for the folks that are inmates, that goes for the staff as well," said Kathy Patterson, Auditor of the District of Columbia.

This audit is eye-opening. It was conducted between July 2023 and June of last year. In that time, the report says 10 inmates died in custody at the D.C. jail. They either were murdered by another inmate, overdosed, or died by suicide. Even after the audit period ended, three more inmates died in the remaining months of 2024.

Patterson was also critical of the Bowser administration’s oversight of the DC Department of Corrections.

"One, we do need a new jail. We need a new facility that can be safe but there’s also needs to be greater attention by the administration to how things are actually working inside the department of corrections," said Patterson. 

The report also says the investigation found deteriorating infrastructure. The DC Department of Corrections failed to maintain consistently clean, hygienic, and safe conditions and did not adequately control parasites, vermin, and mold, and failed to maintain consistent healthy temperatures in both jail facilities. DOC facilities were found to constantly need repairs to multiple systems in both common areas and residents’ cells, including broken and malfunctioning cell doors, locks, keys, gates, plumbing, and wiring.

What they're saying:

The D.C. Department of Corrections responded to FOX 5's request for comment Wednesday afternoon. You can read the full statement below:

"While the DC Department of Corrections (DOC) agrees there is a need for a new jail, and Mayor Bowser remains fully committed to its construction through a public-private partnership, we do not believe the Office of the DC Auditor’s (ODCA) report as published is a fair, unbiased, and accurate assessment of the current state of the conditions at the DOC secure facilities.

DOC is one of few jails in the country to be accredited by both the American Correctional Association and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, and to have fully passed a comprehensive Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) federal audit—demonstrating full alignment with U.S. Department of Justice standards. These accreditations and external assessments validate the agency’s compliance with rigorous, objective benchmarks and a high level of external scrutiny across all aspects of correctional operations, health care, and safety."