DUI Jail Environment in DC
The DUI jail environment in DC is particularly known for having conditions that are harsher from many other jails in the US. There is a wide variety of people facing different kinds of charges, some people there are serving one-week DUI sentences and other people are pending trial on homicide cases.
DC jail is considered to be a fairly crowded jail with very limited amenities and it is not designed to hold people for any extended periods of time. To learn more about the expected atmosphere of jail, contact an experienced DUI attorney.
What are the Common Issues with Jails?
The DUI jail environment in DC has to deal with consistent overcrowding and climate control. The facilities are considered to be older and without more modern facilities that many newer jails feature because the DC jail was never intended to hold people for any extended period of time.
The jail does not have gym facilities or any real recreation facilities and so many people feel that the DC jail needs renovation to make it more consistent with more modern facilities that have amenities that should be made available to prisoners.
What Happens after Someone is Booked?
After someone is booked at the district police station, the police will make a determination whether the person is eligible to be released on a citation or should be brought directly before a judge who could then decide whether that person is eligible for release or not. Most people facing driving under the influence charges are eligible for release on a citation.
When a person is eligible for release on citation; that means that they are released directly from the police station and given a piece of paper telling them when they need to appear for their initial court appearance. That initial court appearance would usually be about three to four weeks out.
Understanding the Arraignment Process
The initial court appearance is called an arraignment. An arraignment is a day where the individual hears what they are charged with and could either appear with a lawyer who they have hired or could be appointed an attorney if they cannot afford one of their own.
If a person is not eligible for release then that person would be transferred to the potential cell block where they would wait to be transferred over to the court so they can appear before a judge who will decide their conditions of release.
In most situations, a person would not be eligible for release on citation if they have some other kind of pending case or on probation or parole for another case. In those situations, police would typically transfer that arrestee to the central cell block and then a judge would be able to decide after hearing arguments from a defense attorney and from the prosecutors whether that person should or should not be released.
Environment Expectations Following a DC DUI Conviction
When a person is first arrested, they are initially held at district police station while they are being booked and processed. The medical resources at police stations are extremely limited. If a person is having any kind of medical emergency upon their arrest, police would usually take that person directly to a hospital so that they can be seen by a doctor and have any medical issues addressed.
If a person is arrested and then taken to central cell block, central cell block does have a very limited medical facility to be able to provide people with certain kinds of medication. Part of understanding the DUI jail environment in DC is knowing that medical supplies are extremely limited. If someone is suffering any kind of medical issue, they would typically be taken directly to a hospital so that they can be seen by a nurse or a doctor.
Once their medical situation has been stabilized, the police would then take that suspect back to the station to continue booking and processing.