Washington, Oct 19 — The US Justice Department on Monday launched a federal investigation into conditions at correctional facilities in Washington, DC, following allegations that prisoners and detainees have been subjected to excessive force, inadequate medical care, unsafe living conditions and insufficient nutrition.
The investigation, announced by the department's Civil Rights Division, will examine whether the District of Columbia Department of Corrections has engaged in a pattern or practice of violating the constitutional rights of people held in its custody.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who heads the Civil Rights Division, said the Constitution protects people in detention and that federal authorities would investigate allegations of mistreatment.
"The Constitution protects the rights of every incarcerated American, including those held in custody in our nation’s capital," Dhillon said in a statement.
"We are committed to upholding our federal civil rights laws so that no inmate is confined in unconstitutional conditions or subject to unconstitutional mistreatment at the District of Columbia Department of Corrections."
The department said it had formally notified Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser of the investigation.
Federal officials said they had received numerous allegations concerning conditions in the city's correctional facilities, including concerns documented in a report by the District's own auditor.
The allegations include failures to protect prisoners and detainees from excessive force, provide adequate medical treatment, maintain safe and sanitary facilities and ensure sufficient nutrition.
The Justice Department stressed that it had not reached any conclusions about whether constitutional violations had occurred.
The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalised Persons Act (CRIPA).
Under the law, federal authorities can investigate whether conditions or practices in correctional facilities amount to a pattern of resistance to the constitutional rights of those confined there.
The inquiry will examine the conduct and practices of the District's correctional system rather than treating individual complaints as established violations.
The department did not announce a deadline for completing the investigation or identify specific correctional employees accused of wrongdoing.
Nor did it say whether the inquiry would result in litigation or a negotiated agreement requiring changes in prison management.
The announcement marks a new stage of federal scrutiny of correctional facilities administered by the District of Columbia government.
The Justice Department said it was seeking information from individuals with knowledge of conditions inside the facilities.
People with relevant information have been encouraged to submit reports through the department's civil rights complaint system.