Councilmember Tim Burgess
Council President Richard Conlin
Future jail needs addressed in City Council study Report explored alternative models of enforcement and impacts on jail population
SEATTLE - Today, the Seattle City Council released a jail capacity study that it had requested through a Statement of Legislative Intent
(SLI) during last fall’s budget deliberations. The SLI asked city policy analysts to assess whether the city’s use of jail beds could be reduced by adopting more treatment-focused approaches for lower-level drug offenders.
The study analyzes changes in Seattle corrections policy for lower-level drug offenders and the likely effects those changes would have on jail use. It looked at providing new treatment services to all of Seattle’s current drug offenders and evaluated reducing jail time for Seattle’s lower-level drug offenders.
On their own, these approaches are unlikely to offer Seattle and other cities in the north and east sectors of the county, reductions that would significantly alter jail planning efforts. Lead time required for jail planning is approximately seven years.
By law, cities are responsible for the cost of jailing individuals arrested for misdemeanors within their jurisdiction. Currently, Seattle, along with most other cities in the county, meets these obligations by contracting for jail space from King County. The county is legally responsible for the cost of jailing individuals arrested for felonies (including most drug offenses) and felons sentenced to serve up to one year.
Prior to the study, King County informed Seattle that it would not extend its jail space contract beyond 2012 because its projections indicated the county would need those jail beds for its own inmates.
Final comments from the Jail Capacity Advisory Group will be included as an addendum to the study. The Advisory Group is comprised of numerous leaders from the criminal justice field. Their input and review helped inform the staff analysis. The Council’s Public Safety, Human Services and Education Committee will review the report at its Sept. 15 meeting.
Council meetings are cablecast live on Seattle Channel 21 and Webcast live on the City Council’s website at www.seattle.gov/council
. Copies of legislation, archives of previous meetings, and news releases are available on www.seattle.gov/council
. Questions about Council news releases can be directed to Debra Carnes, Council Communications, at 206-684-8159, or by e-mail at debra.carnes@seattle.gov
.
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