Cohort 2025
Harriet’s Wildest Dreams
Driving Systemic Accountability through Court Watching
Washington, DC
Washington, DC, has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country. And although Black residents make up just 44 percent of DC’s population, they account for nearly 90 percent of the local jail population. Moreover, as of 2022, about 60 percent of people in the city’s carceral system were being held pretrial. Pretrial detention, which research finds racial disparities in, has wide-reaching negative impacts on people’s lives, and policies that increase pretrial release do not negatively impact public safety. Pretrial incarceration decisions are made by judges and prosecutors behind courtroom doors with little public oversight or accountability. This lack of accountability can contribute to inconsistent and unjust outcomes.
With Catalyst grant funding, Harriet’s Wildest Dreams will expand the types of court proceedings under observation in DC, use technology to expedite data collection and analysis, and improve its ability to disseminate data through unique data visualization. While the organization’s Courtwatch DC program has historically focused on observing initial appearances in misdemeanor and felony cases, this funding will allow the program to expand the types of hearings monitored and observed by the public. By increasing public oversight and bringing transparency to the courtroom, this work aims to challenge unchecked power in the legal system and illuminate how incarceration decisions are made, particularly those that disproportionately harm Black communities in DC.
