Seattle should not build its own jail. That's my conclusion after reviewing an extensive staff study on jail capacity issues.
Our policy staff reports that by 2018 Seattle and our north- and east-county partner cities will experience a capacity gap of over 300 beds for misdemeanants; by 2022, the capacity gap is projected to grow to nearly 500.
Our study finds we cannot close the capacity gap simply through treatment programs for drug users. We could not do so even by halting all lower-level drug arrests. The reality is that we just don’t arrest that many individuals where the only offense is a misdemeanor or low-level drug felony, and those we do arrest on such charges do not account for many jail days.
Determining the need for future jail services must be addressed at a regional - not local - level so the public safety requirements of the entire county are addressed. In addition, King County should remain the sole provider of jail services. Why? Because complex factors drive the demand for jail services and these considerations cross multiple jurisdictions. Good planning cannot be done in isolation. Economies of scale considerations are also an important factor to keep in mind. For these reasons, I firmly believe that Seattle should not build a new jail.
Regional planning can be successful if the county extends the current jail services contract with Seattle and the suburban cities for a minimum of 10 years and then closely partners with all of the cities to put together a solution that will close the capacity gap.
Alternatives-to-jail and even pre-arrest diversion programs should be continued and expanded, as Seattle has effectively done in recent years. These alternatives have merit for many reasons, but play only a part in meeting the jail capacity challenge.
Here are copies of the documents released this afternoon.
Policy Staff Study: Download Jail Capacity Study 9-8-09
Fact Sheet: Download 20090806 fact sheet - jail capacity study - final
