National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997
Encyclopedia
The National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997, also known as the Revitalization Act, was enacted on August 5, 1997, with provisions to reform the criminal justice
system in Washington, D.C.
. The act was spearheaded by North Carolina
Republican Senator, Lauch Faircloth
.
prison was required to close by December 31, 2001. Offenders serving short sentences for misdemeanors serve time either the Central Detention Facility or the Correctional Treatment Facility, both run by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections
. Approximately 6,500 prisoners have been sent to Bureau of Prison facilities around the United States, including over a 1,000 sent to West Virginia, and another 1,000 to North Carolina. Following the passage of the Revitalization Act, a Corrections Trustee was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno
to oversee the District of Columbia Department of Corrections during the transition period.
, and the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency
was established to oversee probation
ers and parole
es, and provide pretrial services. The functions were previously handled by the D.C. Superior Court and the D.C. Pretrial Services Agency.
provide funding for the District of Columbia court system, including the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
, and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
system in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. The act was spearheaded by North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Republican Senator, Lauch Faircloth
Lauch Faircloth
Duncan McLauchlin "Lauch" Faircloth , served one term as a Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina.Before his Senate service, Faircloth was a prominent and wealthy hog farmer...
.
Corrections
Under the legislation, prisoners were put under custody of the Bureau of Prisons, and the Lorton, VirginiaLorton, Virginia
Lorton is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population is 27,709 as of the 2008 census estimate.-History:...
prison was required to close by December 31, 2001. Offenders serving short sentences for misdemeanors serve time either the Central Detention Facility or the Correctional Treatment Facility, both run by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections
District of Columbia Department of Corrections
The District of Columbia Department of Corrections is a correctional agency responsible for the adult jails and other adult correctional institutions in the District of Columbia.-History:...
. Approximately 6,500 prisoners have been sent to Bureau of Prison facilities around the United States, including over a 1,000 sent to West Virginia, and another 1,000 to North Carolina. Following the passage of the Revitalization Act, a Corrections Trustee was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno
Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
to oversee the District of Columbia Department of Corrections during the transition period.
Parole and probation
The Revitalization Act transferred authority regarding parole to the United States Parole CommissionUnited States Parole Commission
The United States Parole Commission is the parole board responsible to grant or deny parole and to supervise those released on parole to incarcerated individuals who come under its jurisdiction. It is part of the United States Department of Justice....
, and the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency
The Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency was established, under the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997, to oversee probationers and parolees, and provide pretrial services in Washington, D.C.. The functions were previously handled by the Superior...
was established to oversee probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
ers and parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
es, and provide pretrial services. The functions were previously handled by the D.C. Superior Court and the D.C. Pretrial Services Agency.
Funding
The Revitalization Act also mandated that the Federal governmentFederal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
provide funding for the District of Columbia court system, including the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Superior Court of the District of Columbia
The Superior Court of the District of Columbia is the local trial court for the District of Columbia. It hears cases involving criminal and civil law. The court also handles specialized cases in the following areas: family court, landlord and tenant, probate, tax, and traffic offenses...
, and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.