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DC Jail

1901 D St SE
Washington D.C., DC 20019

Interview with Scott and Justice

JM: How long was your sentencing for?
Scott: I was sentenced to a total of 180 days for 3 different charges.
Justice: too long

JM: Did you spend time in a holding cell after your sentencing? If so, what was that like? If you didn't where did they they take you instead?
Scott: Yes, the holding cell is one of the worst parts. there are no toilets and the boredom is unreal. Then you see people going in and out of the courtroom. soem are getting released later that day which is terrible too knowing that you will have to stay. It also cold in the holding cell and they only give you a nasty sandwhich for lunch.

If you or somebody you know is heading to the Washington DC Jail you probably want to know what to expect. The links on the left lead to interviews from ex-inmates of the DC Jail who share information about life inside the jail is really like.

Time off for good behavior
The DC Jail is very crowded - one of the ways that the jail copes with the large inmate population is by releasing inmates who don't cause problems for the deputies early. The maximum amount of time available for good behavior is five days per month. This might now seem like much, but if you are serving a six month sentence you will only actually be in jail for five months.

To maximize your time off avoid any sort of fighting with other inmates or talking back to the guards. In jail you will need to exercise a certain degree of restraint that is less important on the streets. Keep your mouth shut while you get a lay of the land behind bars and learn what you can and can't say to fellow inmates.

Telephone use in DC Jail
Compared to other county jails in the US the prices for phone calls in DC is actually pretty reasonable. Each call costs $1.35 and you are allowed to speak for up to 15 minutes (the price is fixed whether you make a 1 minute call or 15 minutes so be sure to time your calls properly - an answering machine will still cost you $1.35). Many jails in the US charge this much (or even more) per minute.

The phones are available from about 8AM until 10PM. Every person you call will hear an announcement that you are calling from the jail so don't plan to phone in sick to work hoping they won't know you've been arrested.

Visiting environment
You are not allowed contact visits in the DC Jail - you will have a window between you and your visitors and you speak to each other through a telephone. You are allowed two visits per week (the specific days will be assigned).

Continue to the interview