Municipal Jail Planning Project Background

• Why Seattle needs a municipal jail
  King County has given notice to Seattle that Seattle will lose all its municipal jail beds in less than five years.

• Seattle has worked hard to minimize the number of people in jail
  The number of people in jail on a Seattle misdemeanor charge has dropped by 38 percent over the last 10 years. Seattle has worked on many alternatives to incarceration.

• Seattle needs a municipal jail because some misdemeanor offenses require jail time regardless of diversion and treatment programs
  State law requires that people sentenced for DUI serve jail time; domestic violence charges are a mandatory arrest and booking in jail.

• Seattle needs a 445-bed municipal jail to meet its needs for the next 20 years
  Alternatives to jail and treatment affect the size of the municipal jail – but cannot replace the need for a municipal jail. Seattle will be working closely with treatment and housing agencies to ensure there are strong connections between the new municipal jail and services.