District of Columbia Cash Bail Reform Act of 2025

This bill changes how people are released from jail before and after trial in Washington, D.C. If someone is charged with a violent or dangerous crime, the judge must keep them in jail before trial. If they’re convicted of those crimes, they must stay in jail afterward, too. The bill also requires cash bail (a secured bond) for people charged with certain “public safety or order” offenses before they can be released. It updates D.C. law to allow release in these cases only if a secured bond is posted, and adds related definitions and procedures . It narrows which burglaries and robberies count as “dangerous” or “violent” by focusing on first-degree crimes or those involving a weapon. These changes apply to people charged on or after 30 days from when the law takes effect.

Key points

• Who is affected: People arrested or convicted in D.C. for listed violent, dangerous, or public safety/order offenses; their families; local courts and jails .
• What changes: Mandatory jail before trial and after conviction for violent/dangerous crimes; cash bail required for certain public safety/order offenses; updated definitions and release rules .
• When: Starts 30 days after the law is enacted for new charges.