Seattle’s Central Area will host a Town Hall meeting for the Metropolitan King County Council to examine ongoing innovations and reforms in the King County criminal justice system, and the community partnerships that are needed to deter crime, prevent recidivism, and encourage self-empowerment.

The Town Hall, “Reforming Criminal Justice: What needs to be done?” is a special meeting of the Council’s Committee of the Whole, and will be held on Monday September 24, at First A.M.E Church, 1522 14th Avenue. The public is invited to meet face-to-face with King County Councilmembers at an informal reception starting at 6:00 p.m. The Town Hall will begin at 6:30 p.m.

“Over 70 percent of the County’s operating budget must be spent on public safety and the criminal justice system. Prior to money-saving Council reforms, it was projected that criminal justice funding would overwhelm the budget,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson, chair of the Committee of the Whole. “This Town Hall is an opportunity to recognize the real progress that has taken place in protecting the public, providing options that can truly save lives and slowing the growth of funding for public safety.”

“The ‘paradigm shift’ that I am proud to have been a part of has revamped the criminal justice system in King County, making it a national model for how to provide realistic alternatives to incarceration,” said Council Chair Larry Gossett, whose district is hosting the Town Hall. “Our challenge now is maintaining and expanding those successful programs even as we continue to look at new options that provide opportunities for individuals who need specific services more than a jail cell.”

King County began its effort to reshape its criminal justice system with Council adoption of the Juvenile Justice Operational Master Plan (JJOMP) in 2000 and the Adult Justice Operational Master Plan (AJOMP) in 2002. At the Town Hall staff will present an overview of the criminal justice programs that are part of JJOMP and AJOMP, and the part they play in reducing the average daily population of the King County Jail. The two programs along with other alternatives to incarceration have played a major role in protecting the public while reducing the county’s need to build a third county jail or a second youth detention facility.

Panelists will present contrasting perspectives on criminal justice reforms. Two speakers will focus on the innovations currently taking place within the criminal justice system:

• The Hon. Patricia Clark, Chief Juvenile Judge for King County Superior Court, will discuss disproportionality in the juvenile justice system and upcoming reforms.

• Nate Caldwell, Director of Community Corrections for the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention, will highlight recent developments in alternatives to incarceration, including case management for mentally ill and skills training.

Community partnerships will be the focus of two other speakers who work with grassroots organizations:

• Mary Flowers of The Village of Hope, which helps men and women leaving incarceration make a successful transition back into society.

• Kelly Jefferson of “Know Thy Self” and the Akoben Brotherhood, a community-based organization dedicated to the healing and uplifting of young African-American men through programs in schools, jails and youth detention facilities, helping them understand history, achieve potential, possess high self-esteem and a positive cultural self-awareness, and contribute to the community.

The public will have an opportunity to question panel members and presenters. At the end of the program, the Council will take open public testimony on any issue.

Town Hall Meetings are part of Councilmembers’ initiative to “get out of the courthouse” and into the communities they serve, in order to enhance both local and regional representation on issues. In 2007, Councilmembers have met with the public and discussed issues at Town Halls held in West Seattle, Renton, Redmond, on the Seattle Waterfront, Shoreline, Maple Valley and Sammamish.

Each Town Hall is a special meeting of the Council’s Committee of the Whole, the only standing committee on which all nine members serve. It considers legislation and policy issues of interest to the entire Council.