The D.C. Council’s appointment of a paroled killer to the city commission charged with setting guidelines for prison sentences left some critics questioning whether local leaders are serious about addressing Washington’s ongoing crime wave.
Twelve members of the council on Tuesday backed convicted murderer Joel Castón’s nomination to the 17-person board.
Caston’s rehabilitation in prison and his acclimation to civilian life have earned him praise from local leaders, but those raising awareness about the city’s ongoing surge in homicides, robberies and carjackings saw the appointment as a step backward.
His appointment comes a month after the council punted on holding its originally planned vote, largely due to a scathing letter sent by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, who advised the council that adding a convicted killer to the commission was unlikely to slow the city’s “revolving door” approach to crime and punishment.
Others advocating for crime victims weighed this week.
“It’s yet another example of the council prioritizing violent criminals over murder victims and rape victims,” Denise Rucker Krepp, a former advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 6, told The Washington Times. “It’s not a family member of a murder victim, it’s not a rape survivor. It is either going to be a murderer or rapist, and that pisses me off.”
Ms. Krepp, who was key in getting Congress to overturn the massive rewrite of D.C.’s criminal code last year, said Tuesday’s action by the council undermines efforts by local leaders to address the spike in robberies, carjackings and homicides that plagued the city in 2023.
Mayor Muriel Bowser echoed those comments when asked about the council’s decision to move forward with Castón, according to reporting the the Washington Post.
“There’s long been a belief that the ideological viewpoints of a lot of previous commissioners have been toward non-accountability, so I would encourage the council to focus on people who want justice in our city for violent crime,” Bowser said. “Not knowing a lot about this nominee, I would tend to associate myself with the U.S. attorney on this one.”
The skeptical remarks from the mayor and others came as the city is under intensifying pressure to address violent crime.
Chairman Phil Mendelson celebrated the “well regarded” ex-con’s appointment during Tuesday’s legislative meeting.
He was joined by council member Brooke Pinto, the Ward 2 Democrat and chair of the Council’s public safety committee.
“These perspectives are also very important, as our Sentencing Commission really does play a crucial role in guiding the courts with the sentencing of crimes committed in our communities,” Ms. Pinto said. “I believe a diversity of perspectives is very important.”
Castón, 46, was convicted for gunning down 18-year-old Rafiq Washington in Southeast in 1994. The shooter, who was 18 himself at the time, was sentenced to 35 years to life behind bars but was paroled in 2021 after 27 years
While incarcerated, Castón became a model prisoner. He started a newspaper, created a program to mentor young men and won an election to serve as an advisory neighborhood commissioner — the first D.C. resident to be elected to office while behind bars
Mr. Graves, the federal prosecutor whose office handles most serious crimes in the District, opposed Castón’s nomination to the board because he said the paroled killer wouldn’t stop the “revolving door” of arrests and lenient prosecutions for violent offenders in the District
He cited data that showed D.C. Superior Court judges followed the board’s guidelines when giving little or no jail time to roughly half of all convicted felons in 2022.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to provide additional comment on Castón’s appointment Tuesday.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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