People with DC Warrants Have Opportunity to Surrender 3 Saturdays in August

 August 2, 2011                                                                                                                                 ForInformation Contact: Leah Gurowitz or Tom Feeney
                                                                                                                                                                                                               (202) 879-1700


“Do the right thing, right now”

WHAT:            DC Safe Surrender 2011

WHERE:          Moultrie Courthouse - 500 Indiana Ave, NW

WHEN:            Saturday, August 13, 20, and 27, 2011 from 9:30am-4:30pm

Description:  The DC Safe Surrender Program is an opportunity for persons who are wanted for non-violent felonies or misdemeanors in the District of Columbia to surrender voluntarily at the Moultrie Courthouse.  DC Safe Surrender recognizes that many persons are looking for a way to resolve their outstanding warrants; the program assures individuals who surrender that they will be treated fairly and with dignity.  

Upon arrival at the event, participants will be identified by the volunteer staff.  If participants do not have an active warrant then they are free to go.  If they do have an active warrant, then an attorney will be appointed to represent them, a hearing will be held and the warrant will be quashed.

DC Safe Surrender’s goal is to reduce the number of outstanding bench warrants by allowing surrender in a safe and secure environment.  The program provides persons with a way to turn themselves in, without the risk of being arrested at home, in front of their family and children, or during a routine traffic stop. 
Over 98% of the 530 people who surrendered at the previous Safe Surrender eventreturned home that same day.

For more information, please visit www.dcsafesurrender.org.  A  list of all those with outstanding warrants will be posted on the webpage shortly.

Safe Surrender is a partnership between:  the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, DC Public Defender Service, DC Superior Court, Metropolitan Police Department, Office of Attorney General, Pretrial Services Agency, US Attorney’s Office, and US Marshals Service