More than 500 fugitives surrendered to authorities last week as part of a three-day program to give nonviolent offenders a chance to start over.

The Fugitive Safe Surrender program was aimed at helping to clear up outstanding warrants, said Leonard Sipes Jr., spokesman for the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency. The initiative, run by the U.S. Marshals Service, was not an amnesty program, although those who turned themselves in were promised favorable consideration from the courts.

About 30 percent of the 530 people who turned themselves in at the Bible’s Way church in Northwest Washington had traffic charges, and the rest had criminal charges. Fifteen percent of the people who showed up learned they were not wanted on a warrant, Sipes said.

In all, 10 fugitives were arrested, three for alleged domestic violence, five for alleged escape from a correctional facility, one for alleged armed robbery and one for alleged felony assault.

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The remaining people received new court dates or had their cases resolved and returned home.

There are about 28,000 outstanding warrants in Washington, 15,000 of which are misdemeanors. People with misdemeanors are the population that the Fugitive Safe Surrender program targets. The program concluded in D.C. and five other cities this weekend.

smccabe@dcexaminer.com