Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress announced that Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., has signed on to be part of CAP’s Mayors for Smart on Crime initiative. Bowser joins mayors from 10 cities, both large and small, who have come together to advocate for fair, equitable, and comprehensive approaches to criminal justice reform. Ed Chung, the vice president for Criminal Justice Reform at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement:
The Center for American Progress welcomes the addition of Mayor Muriel Bowser to our Mayors for Smart on Crime initiative.
In Washington, D.C., Mayor Bowser introduced the Safer Stronger DC plan—a comprehensive and citywide public safety agenda to prevent violence in the District of Columbia, including improving the district’s criminal justice system. In September 2017, Mayor Bowser introduced a series of legislative reforms to simplify the process of sealing the arrest and conviction records of D.C. residents. In addition, Mayor Bowser continues to empower formerly incarcerated individuals through her Office on Returning Citizens Affairs, which helps residents access educational and employment opportunities, health care services, and other vital elements of successful re-entry.
We applaud Mayor Bowser’s commitment to pushing back on outdated ‘tough on crime’ policies that have proven ineffective and disproportionately harmful to communities of color. CAP looks forward to supporting her efforts to be smart on crime.
In addition to Mayor Bowser, other city leaders who are part of this initiative include: Mayor Michael Hancock (Denver, CO); Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson (Gary, IN); Mayor Marty Walsh (Boston, MA); Mayor Jim Kenney (Philadelphia, PA); Mayor Michael Tubbs (Stockton, CA); Mayor Randall Woodfin (Birmingham, AL); Mayor Sharon Weston-Broome (Baton Rouge, LA); Mayor Nan Whaley (Dayton, OH), and Mayor Bill de Blasio (New York, NY). To learn more about Mayors for Smart on Crime, visit www.smartoncrime.us.