Central Detention Facility (CDF/DC Jail)

City Jail

Last Updated: March 09, 2024
Address
1901 D St, SE, Washington, DC 20001
Beds
2164
County
DC
Phone
202-673-7316
Fax
202-671-2043
Email
doc@dc.gov

DC DOC - Central Detention is for City Jail offenders sentenced up to twenty four months.

All prisons and jails have Security or Custody levels depending on the inmate’s classification, sentence, and criminal history. Please review the rules and regulations for City Jail - medium facility.

The phone carrier is Global Tel Link (GTL) - ConnectNetwork, to see their rates and best-calling plans for your inmate to call you.

If you are unsure of your inmate's location, you can search and locate your inmate by typing in their last name, first name or first initial, and/or the offender ID number to get their accurate information immediately Registered Offenders

Satellite View of Central Detention Facility (CDF/DC Jail)

You can support your loved ones at DC DOC - Central Detention on InmateAid, if you have any immediate questions contact the facility directly at 202-673-7316.

The DC DOC - Central Detention serves as a low/medium-security city detention center located at 1901 D St, SE in Washington, DC. Operated locally by the police and sheriff's departments, it houses inmates and detainees awaiting trial or sentencing. Most sentenced inmates have terms of less than two years. The facility also accepts inmates from surrounding towns and occasionally from the US Marshal's Service.

New detainees are regularly admitted to the jail, with some being released on bail or placed under pretrial services caseloads. Others may be supervised by probation agencies or released on recognizance with a court appearance agreement. Those who remain in custody await their court appearances at the facility, receiving accommodations such as bedding and meals.

For access to arrest records in District of Columbia, you can view them here.

The Central Detention Facility (CDF/DC Jail) is located in Southeast DC at 1901 D Street, SE. The current facility was opened in 1976. The DC Jail is a correctional facility that houses pre-trial offenders, sentenced misdemeanants and convicted felons awaiting transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The majority of male inmates (females are housed at the Correctional Treatment Facility) housed in the Central Detention Facility are awaiting adjudication of cases or are sentenced for misdemeanor offenses. As a result of the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997, sentenced felons are transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The Department offers a variety of programs to inmates housed at the DC Jail. These programs include: HIV/ AIDS Prevention, Education and Intervention Services; Individual and Group Counseling Services; Hispanic Life Skills; Book Club; Street Law; Literacy Education; Religious Services; Mental Health Adjustment; and Anger Management, among other life skills development and religious services.

Correctional Treatment Facility

The Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF), originally constructed by the District of Columbia, Department of Corrections, was activated in May 1992 as a specialized medium security institution. The eight-story structure stands on 10.2 acres next to the Central Detention Facility off 19th and D Streets, SE, in Washington, DC.

The Correctional Treatment Facility consists of five separate, multi-story buildings that are situated immediately adjacent to each other, presenting the appearance of one large structure. The facility design provides for the security perimeter. Each building contains separate areas for administration, programs, housing and services that allow the facility to function as a whole. Every room has a window and each unit has at least one television room, a multi-purpose room and access to a recreation yard. Housing units within CTF range from 16 to 48 cells with a maximum capacity of 96 beds per unit.

Halfway Houses

The DC Department of Corrections contracts with several community release programs who operate facilities known as community correctional centers or halfway houses. The agency has contracts with three private and independently operated halfway houses: Extended House, Inc., Fairview and Hope Village. The US District Court for DC and the Superior Court of DC place pretrial offenders and sentenced misdemeanants in halfway houses as an alternative to incarceration. The halfway houses offer a variety of educational opportunities and other programming services that include the following:

  • Case Management
  • Employment Assistance/Job Readiness
  • Individual and Group Counseling
  • Substance Abuse Intervention in-house NA/AA Meetings/Referrals
  • Academic Tutoring
  • GED Preparation
  • Basic Life Skills
  • Family Planning
  • Peer Association
  • Financial Assistance
  • Health Issues
  • Interpersonal Communication/Socialization Skills
  • Stress/Anger Management
  • AIDS/HIV Awareness
  • Bible Study/Prison Fellowship (provided by volunteers)
  • Social Services Assistance/Referrals

Inmate Locator

Central Detention Facility (CDF/DC Jail) publishes the names of the inmates currently in their facility in District of Columbia. Your search should start with this locator first to see if your loved one is there.

The second box is the InmateAid Inmate Search. This database of inmates is user-generated content to access and utilize any or all of the InmateAid services. If you need our assistance creating your inmate profile to keep in touch, email us at aid@inmateaid.com and we will assist you in locating your inmate.

As a last resort, you might have to pay for that information if we do not have it. The Arrest Record Search will cost you a small amount, but their data is the freshest available and for that reason, they charge to access it.

Visitation Information

DC DOC - Central Detention - Visitation

The new Video Visitation Center (VVC) is now open and located behind the Correctional Treatment Facility (1901 E Street, SE, Washington, DC 20009), on the ground level of The READY Center.

All visits will continue to be scheduled via the Internet or by calling 1 (888) 906-6394 or (202) 442-6155 (Tuesday through Saturday from 9 am-5 pm).

Social visits at the DC Jail are conducted at the Department’s Video Visitation Center, located at the DC General Hospital complex (adjacent to the jail), and in select community visitation locations. Visits may be scheduled via the Internet or by calling 1 (888) 906-6394 or (202) 442-6155 (Tuesday through Saturday from 9 am-5 pm). Visits are conducted Wednesdays through Sundays starting at 11 am and ending at 10 pm. The last session begins at 9 pm. Visitation hours at the community locations differ. Please see below for visitation hours for each satellite location. DOC encourages all visitors to arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled visit. Visits must start on time and are automatically cancelled if visitors arrive late.

Effective Wednesday, September 12, 2012, inmates are allowed two (2) 45-minute social visits per week--visits are free and by appointment only. However, One adult and up to two minor children (under the age of 18) may enter the video visitation room to visit, effective November 6, 2012. Additional minor children may be rotated in during the forty-five (45) minute visitation period as long as they are supervised by an adult while in the waiting area.

Note 1: At all times, minor children entering the VVC and satellite locations must be supervised by an adult.

Note 2: Media interviews with inmates shall not be conducted at the Video Visitation Center under the guise of a social visit---media requests for inmate interviews should be forwarded to the Office of Government and Public Affairs for review and appropriate action.

Satellite Locations and Hours

Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd SE, Washington, DC 20020 – Visits are conducted Thursdays and Sundays 2 to 4pm.

Bald Eagle Recreation Center, 100 Joliet St SW, Washington, DC 20032 – Visits are conducted Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 11am to 3pm.

Martin Luther King Library, 901 G St NW, Washington, DC 20001 – Visits are conducted Thursdays from 2 pm to 8 pm and Fridays/Sundays from 2 pm – 5 pm.

Capitol View Neighborhood Library, 5001 Central Ave SE, Washington, DC 20019

About Face to Face Visitation

The D.C. Department of Corrections offers visitation for the families and loved ones of those incarcerated in our facilities. Most social visits for inmates housed at the D.C. Jail are conducted through video visitation. However, as an incentive for positive behavior, face to face visitation is now available for eligible inmates. This program began on June 22, 2015.

Ask The Inmate

Ask a former inmate questions at no charge. The inmate answering has spent considerable time in the federal prison system, state and county jails, and in a prison that was run by the private prison entity CCA. Ask your question or browse previous questions in response to comments or further questions of members of the InmateAid community.