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DC Safe Surrender program gives felons a chance to turn themselves in
Updated 9/1/11
August 21, 2011
Washington, D.C.: On Saturdays during the month of August in 2011, the District of Columbia is offering non-violent felons with bench warrants out for their arrest an opportunity to turn themselves in. In doing so, they avoid the potential for being arrested in front of friends, family or while at work. And according to Superior Court Chief Judge Lee F. Satterfield, "You've got a much better likelihood of leaving through the front door if you walk in through the front door than if you don't."[1]
The 2011 program is a continuation of an initiative begun in DC in 2007. That year, over 500 people turned themselves in, and all but 10 were able to go home again the same day. So far in 2011, over 225 people have turned themselves in, and less than 2 percent were not released the same day.[2][3]
UPDATE: At the conclusion of the 2011 program, 764 people had voluntarily surrendered. Nearly 99 percent of those people were able to return home the same day. There are still about 16,000 bench warrants that remain outstanding in Washington, D.C.[4]
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Washington Post "For fugitives, the right kind of break," August 18, 2011
- ↑ DC Safe Surrender Press Release "Chief Judge Satterfield Reports First Day of DC Safe Surrender a Big Success, August 15, 2011
- ↑ DC Safe Surrender Press Release "Mayor Gray, Chief Judge Satterfield Announce DC Safe Surrender 2011
- ↑ Blog of Legal Times "D.C. 'Safe Surrender' Brings in 764 with Outstanding Warrants," August 29, 2011
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