SW

“The Federal Bureau of Prisons has initiated a proposal to put in a 300 Bed Male Prison Halfway house 200 ft. away from the Washington Global Middle School”

By Prince Of Petworth

map
via google maps

“Dear PoPville,

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (our federal govt.) has initiated a proposal to put in a 300 Bed Male Prison Halfway house 200 ft. away from the Washington Global Middle School in SW. This proposal seem to have been in the works for a few yrs now (published in May 2013), but it was only yesterday that I had ever heard of this initiative through our neighborhood forum. I don’t understand how/why the federal govt. is able to pull an initiative like this and bypass the City and the SW community so we don’t have a say on something so impacting to our community as this? How can the federal govt. think they can just put in a 300 bed house and that not be affecting our community, or at least have our voices be hear in the process? From Council member Charles Allen’s letter to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, it doesn’t sound like the DC police dept. support this proposal either. Can someone help clarify and simplify what’s going on here? Is it a done deal?

Please see 3 attached public documents.

475School_Oppo_Ltr_CM_Allen_Final (PDF)

FINALCICHopeVillageReport052413 (PDF)

475School_Street_Halfway_House_Fact_Sheet (Word)

Thank you.

–concerned citizen in SW

Photo essay about the redevelopment of SW DC

By Prince Of Petworth

Thanks to a reader for sending this great bit of history from the Historical Society of DC.

The reader writes:

“This is a fascinating photo essay about the redevelopment of SW DC. You will love it. Great detail and photos of how mid-century DC was “renovated”. I recommend downloading the PDF and going through it that way…”