The D.C. Council on Tuesday weighed a plan that would allow some convicted criminals who are re-entering the community from incarceration to obtain a “certificate of good standing” from the city, though a top D.C. official expressed doubt about how the proposal would be implemented.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding in the public that society creates such hurdles for people coming out of prison that it actually facilitates their recommitting crimes,” Council Chairman Phil Mendelson told The Washington Examiner. “If we can find ways to lessen those hurdles, we improve the chances that a person can re-enter society successfully.”
The certificate is part of a broader package of reforms that Mendelson said would help improve the re-entry process.
Under the proposal, the Department of Corrections could issue the certificate if a person has “conducted himself or herself in a manner warranting such issuance” for a certain period of time after completing his or her sentence.
To be eligible for a certificate of good conduct, a person who received a prison term of at least five years would have to avoid legal trouble for at least five years after his or her release.
The requirements would be less stringent for people convicted of minor offenses.
Under Mendelson’s plan, authorities could also revoke or suspend the certificates if the offenders were arrested again.
Mayor Vincent Gray’s administration warned, though, that the measure carried risks and burdens.
“An employer would be allowed to rely on the certificate issued by the [Department of Corrections], thus making the District potentially liable for negligence should there be an error [on] the certificate, a revocation due to subsequent arrests or convictions, or a dispute as to the subjective determination that supervision was completed in good standing,” Deputy Mayor Paul Quander said.
Quander also expressed concerns about the financial demands of a certification system.
“The law is an unfunded mandate that will require additional staff and other resources to investigate and respond to requests for certificates,” Quander said.
Mendelson acknowledged cost concerns but said the proposal would be a good first step for improving outcomes of former prisoners.
“I don’t think it’s a perfect proposal,” Mendelson said. “But what I’ve heard over and over again since I became chair of the committee is that having a certificate is of some value.”
