# Plain Language Summary: District of Columbia Code Returning Citizens Coordination Act

This bill requires the federal Bureau of Prisons to share information about D.C. residents who are incarcerated in federal prisons with the Mayor of Washington, D.C. Right now, the federal government doesn't automatically tell D.C. officials who from their city is locked up in federal facilities or when they're scheduled to be released. This bill changes that by requiring the Bureau of Prisons to send the Mayor basic information every year about D.C. residents in federal custody, including their names, birthdates, which prison they're in, and their expected release dates.

The practical impact is that D.C. can now plan better for people coming home. When the city knows someone is about to be released, they can arrange housing, job training, mental health services, and other support programs before that person gets out. This helps "returning citizens" (people who've been incarcerated) successfully reintegrate into society rather than leaving them to figure everything out on their own. The Mayor can also request additional information that the federal government already has on file about these individuals, similar to what probation and parole officers receive.

The bill includes privacy protections to make sure this information doesn't get misused. D.C. can't share the data outside city government except with lawyers and nonprofits that help people with criminal cases or re-entry services. The bill specifically overrides certain federal privacy laws to allow this information sharing, but only for this specific purpose. Essentially, it's trading some privacy protections for better coordination between federal and local governments to help formerly incarcerated people successfully return to their communities.

District of Columbia Code Returning Citizens Coordination Act

Norton, Eleanor Holmes

District of Columbia Code Returning Citizens Coordination Act This bill requires the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide specified information (e.g., the scheduled release date) to the Mayor of the District of Columbia for each person under the jurisdiction of the BOP pursuant to the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997. The BOP must also provide, upon the request of the Mayor, such information to the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District. The Mayor of the District of Columbia may not disclose the provided information outside of the District government, except to counsel for the detained individuals, and to organizations that provide legal representation to individuals in criminal or post-conviction matters, or in matters related to re-entry.