In March, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the city would resume operation of CTF when CoreCivic’s contract expires at the end of January 2017.

On the first day of public control, National CURE will celebrate at the Hotel Harrington from 4-6pm ET. We’ll be in Harriet’s Restaurant (harrietsfamilyrestaurant.com).

The event is hosted by ReThink Justice-DC, a coalition of criminal justice reform organizations and citizens, and will offer the opportunity to reflect on the struggle to end the contract and build community for what’s next.

Since forming nearly three years ago, ReThink Justice-DC has advocated to end D.C.’s contract with CoreCivic, and to stop the city from signing contracts with other for-profit corrections corporations.

“Profit is the worst possible motive to run a jail,” said Charlie Sullivan of CURE, and one of the coalition’s leaders. “I feel like D.C. is finally being released from a 20 year sentence.”

The coalition stresses that, while research and advocacy certainly helped create a climate for reform, in the end, only the Mayor and the City Council could bring about this historic day.

“Hats off to the Mayor and Council for removing the private profit from CTF. It was the right thing to do,” said coalition leader Ann Keep. The coalition especially invites these progressive public officials to the celebration and plan to publicly express their gratitude.