WASHINGTON, D.C, – Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) introduced the DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act. This bill supports President Trump’s effort to restore law and order in our nation’s capital. Rep. Donalds is leading the bill in the House.
Senator Banks (R-Ind.): “My bill backs President Trump’s mission to restore law and order in our nation’s capital by cracking down on violent crime and enforcing real consequences. Make Washington, D.C. safe and great again!”
Key Provisions of the DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act are:
- Lowers the age of youth offenders from 24 to 18.
- Removes judicial discretion to sentence youth offenders below statutory mandatory minimums.
- Bars D.C. local government from changing mandatory minimums or sentencing guidelines for any crime.
- Requires the D.C. Attorney General to collect and publish data on juvenile crime within D.C.
Full text of the bill can be found here.
Background:
Washington, D.C. continues to face a public safety crisis, with violent crime and robberies on the rise while the D.C. Council pursues a soft-on-crime agenda. A significant portion of the problem stems from young adults aged 20 to 25, who make up about a quarter of homicide and non-fatal shooting perpetrators. These offenders often receive lenient sentences due to a D.C. law that classifies those aged 18–24 as “youth offenders,” allowing judges to bypass mandatory minimums. President Trump’s push to restore safety in the capital offers a chance to reassert Congressional authority and counter the Council’s progressive policies.