On behalf of two residents at Hope Village Halfway House, we filed suit in partnership with the ACLU of DC and Latham & Watkins LLP to challenge the failure of Hope Village, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the DC Department of Corrections to take even the most basic measures to protect them from the COVID-19 virus.

Hope Village is the largest federal halfway house in the country with more than 300 beds, each only about three feet apart. The prisoners eat together in crowded dining rooms and share bathrooms. This congregate setting prevents any form of social distancing. In addition, Hope Village has failed to provide their residents with adequate supplies to maintain personal hygiene and clean their living areas.

Persons housed at Hope Village are typically serving the last few months of their sentences. They are not considered dangerous to the community; in ordinary times, they are allowed to leave the facility during the day to work at a job or to visit family.

We are seeking the release of as many residents as possible to home confinement to reduce density in Hope Village, and the implementation of social distancing and infection control measures consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and DC government.

Read the full press release and complaint here.