CHIEF JUDGE SATTERFIELD REPORTS FIRST DAY OF DC SAFE SURRENDER 2011 A BIG SUCCESS
WASHINGTON, DC -- DC Superior Court Chief Judge Lee F. Satterfield pronounced the first day of DC Safe Surrender a major success, with over 225 people turning themselves in during the course of a single day this past Saturday. “We had 226 people turn themselves in on Saturday, with 41 coming in the previous week, and so far fewer than 2% have not walked out the door the same day. These are 267 people who have taken responsibility for their actions and avoided the risk and potential embarrassment of an arrest at home, workplace or during a traffic stop. And as in 2007, over 98% of those turning themselves in went home the same day,” said Chief Judge Satterfield.
“We are very pleased with the opening day of DC Safe Surrender and look forward to more individuals surrendering voluntarily and accessing the critical services that are provided on-site. I also want to thank our local and federal partners for making the first day of the program a success,” said Deputy Mayor Paul Quander.
The DC Safe Surrender program is an opportunity for persons who have outstanding bench warrants for non-violent felonies or misdemeanors in DC to surrender voluntarily at the Moultrie Courthouse. DC Safe Surrender recognizes that many persons have bench warrants because they failed to appear for a court hearing or violated conditions of probation or parole, and they now want to resolve the matter and move forward with their lives. The program’s goal is to reduce the number of outstanding bench warrants. The program provides persons with a way to turn themselves in, without the risk of being arrested at home, in front of their family and children, or during a routine traffic stop. Over 525 people turned themselves in during a similar program in 2007, with all but 10 going home that same day.
“DC Safe Surrender is an initiative focused on increasing public safety, and our goal this year is to build on the success of the 2007 program,” Chief Judge Satterfield said. “By taking responsibility for their actions, participants of Safe Surrender can show their friends, family, and the judge, that they are taking the appropriate steps towards becoming responsible members of the community. I encourage everyone with an outstanding bench warrant to turn themselves in. on one of the next two Saturdays.”
The DC Safe Surrender program will take place on two additional Saturdays, August 20 and August 27, 2011 from 9:30am-4:30pm. For more information, including a list of those with bench warrants eligible for the program, please visit www.dcsafesurrender.org.
Safe Surrender is a partnership between: the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, DC Public Defender Service, DC Superior Court, Deputy Mayor’s Office for Public Safety and Justice, Metropolitan Police Department, Office of Attorney General, Pretrial Services Agency, US Attorney’s Office, US Parole Commission and US Marshals Service.