Council for Court Excellence

Council for Court Excellence Improving justice in DC through research, policy, education and civic engagement. Horsky.

CCE was founded in 1982 by leaders in the District’s civic, legal, government, and business sectors in the wake of a comprehensive report by the District of Columbia Court System Study Committee of the DC Bar (Study Committee), chaired by Charles A. CCE’s founding president, mobilized leaders to create an organization that would lead the charge in making the District’s court system effective, efficient, and fair for everyone.

Still deciding whom to vote for in this year’s primary elections? ⬇️Most of the candidates for D.C. Mayor and Congressio...
06/04/2026

Still deciding whom to vote for in this year’s primary elections? ⬇️

Most of the candidates for D.C. Mayor and Congressional Delegate joined CCE (and our partners!) for public forums to share their visions for public safety, justice, and the future of the District.

Watch the forums here:
🎥 Congressional Delegate Candidate Forum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S7usRUgOoQ
🎥 Mayoral Candidate Forum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14953-UhgJg

As the D.C. Council deliberates on the FY27 budget, CCE is continuing to advocate for a budget that advances justice, ac...
06/03/2026

As the D.C. Council deliberates on the FY27 budget, CCE is continuing to advocate for a budget that advances justice, accountability, safety, and access across the District.

Over the past month, we shared testimony before several Council committees focused on the systems that impact incarcerated people, young people, survivors, returning citizens, grieving families, and D.C. residents seeking timely access to justice.

The choices made in this budget will have real consequences for people across the District. We urge the Council to fund solutions that are evidence-based, humane, and responsive to community needs.

D.C.’s court backlog is not just a court operations issue. It is an access to justice issue. 👇As reported by The Washing...
06/01/2026

D.C.’s court backlog is not just a court operations issue. It is an access to justice issue. 👇

As reported by The Washington Informer, more than 40,000 cases remained unresolved heading into 2026, with felony cases continuing to grow and judicial vacancies contributing to delays across the system.

“When delays become so severe that victims cannot get closure, defendants cannot receive timely trials, witnesses disappear, and judges are forced to triage justice, the issue is no longer administrative,” said Tracy Velázquez, Policy Director at the Council for Court Excellence.

These delays affect every corner of District life, from criminal cases to housing, probate, custody, and family court matters.

CCE will continue advocating for a court system that is fully staffed, timely, accessible, and fair for everyone who depends on it.

Read the full article from The Washington Informer: https://www.washingtoninformer.com/dc-court-system-buckling-backlog/

Workforce barriers continue long after incarceration. In fact, there are more than 40,000 collateral consequences tied t...
05/29/2026

Workforce barriers continue long after incarceration. In fact, there are more than 40,000 collateral consequences tied to a criminal record in the U.S., many of which directly impact access to employment.

SCHA's report explores how D.C. can strengthen second chance hiring, support justice-impacted individuals, and address ongoing workforce shortages through smarter reentry workforce innovation.

From policy recommendations to lessons learned from other jurisdictions, this report offers an important roadmap for building a stronger and more inclusive workforce ecosystem in D.C.

Read the full report here: https://scha-dc.org/reentryworkforceinnovation/

Graphic: See hereCaption: As we wrap up Mental Health Month, we're thinking about the young people in D.C.'s juvenile ju...
05/28/2026

Graphic: See here
Caption: As we wrap up Mental Health Month, we're thinking about the young people in D.C.'s juvenile justice system who deserve healing, not just supervision.

A 2025 oversight report found that youth at New Beginnings aren't getting the behavioral health care they need. The facility was designed to rehabilitate, but it isn't doing that.

Independent oversight exists to hold systems accountable when they fall short. That's why we're calling for it to be restored.

Read the full report:https://oijjfo.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/oijjfo/publication/attachments/Behavioral%20Health%20Services%20at%20New%20Beginnings%20Final%20Report%20October%2027%2C%202025.pdf

The Second Chance Hiring Alliance’s convening event “From Workforce Training to Employment: Improving Pathways for Reent...
05/27/2026

The Second Chance Hiring Alliance’s convening event “From Workforce Training to Employment: Improving Pathways for Reentry” was a resounding success!

On May 12th, we brought together people-- representing businesses, workforce development programs, government, and justice-impacted folks-- for focused conversations around workforce reentry.

Headlined by MORCA Director Talib Shakir and Brandi Petway, HR Facility Lead at Giant Food, the convening included small and large group discussions on the alignment between employer expectations, labor market demands, and workforce development program trainings and resources.

95% of participants reported finding the convening useful AND stated a desire to attend future convenings to continue the conversations. 👏 Thank you to all who attended!

In a recent WAMU article on D.C.’s mayoral race and the public safety debate, CCE Executive Director Misty Thomas emphas...
05/26/2026

In a recent WAMU article on D.C.’s mayoral race and the public safety debate, CCE Executive Director Misty Thomas emphasized the need to ask bigger, more practical questions about the role of law enforcement in our city.

Rather than focusing only on police staffing, Misty pointed to a companion question: how can D.C. shrink the workload and expectations placed on police by shifting certain responsibilities to other support services and agencies?

She also raised concern that political back-and-forth can obscure urgent issues across the broader criminal justice system, including the conditions facing both children and adults in D.C.’s jails and youth facilities.

At CCE, we believe public safety conversations must be grounded in evidence, accountability, and a full understanding of how the justice system impacts people across the District.

Read the full article from WAMU: https://wamu.org/story/26/05/19/dc-mayor-candidates-share-positions-on-criminal-justice/

A man died at the D.C. Jail on May 8. The jail is dangerously overcrowded — 2,207 people are in custody, 15% more than a...
05/19/2026

A man died at the D.C. Jail on May 8. The jail is dangerously overcrowded — 2,207 people are in custody, 15% more than a year ago.

And the facility is critically short-staffed: only 713 of the 1,082 officers needed to safely operate are currently filled. If the population continues to grow, the District will need to spend millions more just to meet basic constitutional requirements for food and healthcare — leaving fewer resources for the programs that actually help people and communities thrive.

Check out new full fact sheet at https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/659c0df344c9c8325dd821ca/6a0b5a2370efd0ba770288b6_Jail%20Population%20May%202026%20Fact%20Sheet%20(2).pdf.

About 44% of people in U.S. jails have a history of mental health problems, and their rate of serious psychological dist...
05/13/2026

About 44% of people in U.S. jails have a history of mental health problems, and their rate of serious psychological distress is FIVE TIMES that of the general public (https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/imhprpji1112.pdf).

At the D.C. jail, the share of the population with a mental health problem is 70%, making it one of the largest providers of behavioral healthcare in the District.

Community-based mental healthcare and supportive services can keep people from landing in - or going back to - the D.C. jail. Adequately funding these in the D.C. budget is good for District residents and for public safety.

We’re grateful to our incredible sponsors for making the 2026 Justice Potter Stewart Awards Dinner possible. Your suppor...
05/11/2026

We’re grateful to our incredible sponsors for making the 2026 Justice Potter Stewart Awards Dinner possible. Your support helps advance meaningful improvements across D.C.’s courts and legal system.

Join us on May 21 for an inspiring evening as we come together to celebrate leaders driving impact in our community.

Tickets are still available. Secure your spot and view the full list of sponsors: https://www.courtexcellence.org/2026-jps-awards

Address

999 E Street NW
Washington D.C., DC
20004

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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+12027855917

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