(WASHINGTON, DC) – Mayor Vincent C. Gray today announced the opening of the DC Department of Corrections’ (DOC) new Inmate Processing Center at the Central Detention Facility (DC Jail). Mayor Gray was joined by Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Paul A. Quander Jr., Department of Corrections Director Thomas Faust, Department of General Services (DGS) Deputy Director of Capital Construction Services June Locker, members of the Council of the District of Columbia and DOC staff in a ribbon cutting ceremony. The ceremony also included the Mayor’s announcement that the facility is officially named “The Carolyn A. Cross Inmate Reception Center” in honor of the late DOC Deputy Director. Deputy Director Cross was found slain in her home on Sunday, September 7, 2014.
“I’m excited to announce the opening of this new state-of-the-art facility which through the co-location of critical services, will streamline the Department’s intake and release protocols and enable more efficient processing of the offender population,” said Mayor Gray. “And in tribute to Deputy Director Cross, the Inmate Processing Center is being officially named in her honor. With the naming of this facility, we preserve her legacy and honor her memory forever.”
The Inmate Reception Center is the centralized point of entry and exit for male and female inmates remanded to the custody of the DOC. The new Center facilitates the timely movement of incoming and outgoing inmates through a “one stop” service delivery model. The co-location of functions, including the required front- and back-end records review and identification processing, case management, and medical triage will increase operational efficiencies, eliminate redundancy and enhance the population's understanding of facility processes and procedures. On an annual basis, the facility processes over 12,500 intakes and releases.
The new Center features new iris scanning and digital fingerprinting technologies, an automated property storage system, designated space for secure storage, a closed circuit television surveillance system, and safe cells for housing inmates with special needs.
"The facility provides a mission critical function to the DOC and with its state-of-the-art features showcases the Department’s operational best practices", said DOC Director Thomas Faust.
"Our new Inmate Reception Center was designed to maximize resources and ensure that vitally important services are provided in the most productive way possible,” said Director Faust. “Construction of this center has been a long time in the making. The project was a massive undertaking that involved the collective dedication of staff from both DOC and the Department of General Services, and we are very proud that in working together, we made this vision for change a reality,” he said.
“With the new design and technology features, the Inmate Reception Center provides our sister agency with a streamlined, state-of-the-art, and safe facility for everyone,” said DGS Deputy Director of Capital Construction Services June Locker.
The new Inmate Reception Center will begin officially processing inmates in the next several weeks.