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MUR
IEL BOWSER
MAYOR
April 21, 2026
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
In accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
142; D.C. Official Code § 1- 523.01), and pursuant to section 403 of the Human Rights Act of 1977,
effective December 7, 2004 (D.C. Law 15-216; D.C. Official Code § 2- 1404.03), I am pleased to
nominate the following individual:
Mr. Joel Castón
C Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003
(Ward 7)
for appointment as a member of the Commission on Human Rights, filling a vacant seat formerly held
by Colin Rettammel, for a term to end December 31, 2028.
Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-m entioned
nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
I would appreciate the Council’s earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
Sincerely,
Muriel B owser
Mayor
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~ Chairman Phil Mendelson
at the request of the Mayor
A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
To confirm the appointment of Joel Caston as a member of the Commission on Human Rights.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the "Commission on Human Rights Joel Caston Confirmation
Resolution of 2026".
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
Joel Caston
C Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003
(Ward 7)
as a member of the Commission on Human Rights, established by section 401 of the Human
Rights Act of 1977, effective December 7, 2004 (D.C. Law 15-216; D.C. Official Code§ 2-
1404.01 ), filling a vacant seat formerly held by Colin Rettammel, for the remainder of an
unexpired term to end December 31, 2028.
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Mayor.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
JOEL CASTON
SentencingCommissioner|PolicyAdvocate|PublicServant
PROFILE
Publicservantandjusticereformleaderwithlivedexperiencenavigatingthecriminallegalsystemandadvancingreformfrominsidegovernment.FirstincarceratedindividualelectedtopublicofficeinWashington,D.C.CurrentlyservesasaSentencingCommissioner,bringingacommunity-centered,rights-basedapproachtopolicygroundedin
dignity,dueprocess,andequalprotectionunderthelaw.
EXPERIENCE
SentencingCommissioner— DistrictofColumbia(2024~Present)Reviewscriminalcasestoensurecompliancewithstatutoryandconstitutionalstandards;advancesequitablesentencingpolicy;andcollaborateswithjudges,attorneys,andcommunitystakeholderstoreducedisparitiesandupholdfairnesswithinthejusticesystem.
Founder& ExecutiveDirector— BuildingCommunityWealth,Inc.(2022-Present)Leadsnonprofitadvancingeconomicjusticethroughfinancialeducation,entrepreneurship,andsystems-changeadvocacy.Buildscross-sectorpartnershipstoaddressstructuralbarriersimpactingunderbankedandjustice-impacted‘communities.
Administrator— WAIVEProgram(WiselyAdvocatingforImpartialVerdictEquality),Maryland(2021-Present)Providesadministrativeleadershipforajustice-focusedprogrampromotingfairverdicts,proceduralintegrity,andequitywithinthelegalsystem.Supportsimpactedindividualsthroughadvocacy,programcoordination,andcompliancewith
applicablestatestandards.
AdvisoryNeighborhoodCommissioner(ANC7F07)— DistrictofColumbia(2021-2023)Electedrepresentativefora districtencompassingtheD.C.Jailandsurroundingcommunities.Advocatedforcivilrights,accesstoservices,andmeaningfulcommunityparticipationinlocalgovernance.
LEADERSHIP & FELLOWSHIPS:
GlobalFreedomFellow—IncarcerationNationsNetwork(2024-Present)Selectedforaninternationalfellowshipunitingformerlyincarceratedleadersadvancinghumanrights,democraticParticipation,andaccountabilitywithinjusticesystemsworldwide.
EDUCATION
GeorgetownUniversity— CourseworkinGovernment& Law,Finance,andResearch
CORE COMPETENCIES
SentencingPolicy*HumanRights& CivilLiberties+AdministrativeOversight«DueProcess+PublicIntegrityCommunityEngagement+IntergovernmentalCollaboration
CONTACT
Washington,
E
xecutive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
Joe
l Castón
Mr
. Joel Castón is a formerly incarcerated Washingtonian who serves as
the Founder and Executive Director of Building Community Wealth,
LLC. In this capacity, Mr. Castón advocates for economic justice through
financial education, entrepreneurship, and eliminating structural barriers.
In addition, he is an administrator of the Wisely Advocating for Impartial
Verdict Equality (WAIVE) Program in Maryland and serves as an active
member on the DC Sentencing Commission.
In 2021, Mr. Castón was elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner
of ANC 7F07, becoming the first incarcerated person elected to public
office in the District. His single member district (SMD) included the D.C.
Jail, the Harriet Tubman Women’s Shelter, and a luxury apartment
complex. Mr. Castón held office for two years, completing his term in 2023. While in office, Mr.
Castón served as Treasurer of ANC 7F and as co-chair of the Ward 7 Redistricting Task Force.
Mr. Castón is a Ward 7 resident.
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
______________________________________________________________________________
The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681
To: Kimberly A. Bassett, Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: March 31, 2026
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of a resolution appointing Joel Castón as a member of
the Commission on Human Rights
This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced resolution and
found it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not
hesitate to call Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at
202-727-0872, or me at 202-724-7681.
______________________________
Elizabeth Cavendish