Aug. 5, 2008

Jail planning discussions to move forward

A new King County report shows area cities should continue planning underway for new jail facilities as the region will have significant new jail capacity needs in the future. The report is part of the county's regional jail planning effort, begun in 2006, to prepare for the area's future jail needs.

The report provides important information needed for King County to continue joint planning with its contract cities whose jail contracts expire in 2012. The County Executive notes the increasing urgency, especially for cities, to add jail capacity. The region's collective detention space needs are significant, and cannot be met within existing county facilities, even with a planned expansion of the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. The Executive has directed staff to accelerate discussions with the cities to explore the possibility of partnerships to meet the region's collective detention space needs, including moving forward with planning for an MRJC expansion.

King County is responsible by law for detaining individuals charged with felonies prior to trial, charged with or convicted of misdemeanors originating in unincorporated King County, and convicted of felonies and sentenced to serve less than one year. King County projects that by 2024, it will need approximately 300 beds more than current available King County jail capacity.

King County's 36 contract cities (all King County cities, excluding Kent, Enumclaw and Milton), which are responsible for the detention of individuals charged with or sentenced for misdemeanor offenses originating within a city's jurisdiction, project a total inmate population of 1,450 by 2026. This amount exceeds the total existing jail bed capacity at the contract cities' existing municipal jails by over 1,200 inmates.

Put simply, the region currently does not have enough jail beds to house all local inmates for all jurisdictions including the cities, the state and the county. By the expiration of the current contract in 2012, there will not be enough regional beds for the city and county inmate populations alone. By 2026, city and county inmate populations will far exceed any regional jail capacity.

The county does have the potential to add up to four additional inmate housing units at the Maleng Regional Justice Center and is completing a site master plan for that potential expansion. This expansion can provide additional needed jail beds, but not enough to solve the regional problem completely either in the short-term or the long term.

"We support and encourage the cities' jail planning processes and are open to partnering with cities in a variety of ways to assist them in support of a regionally integrated jail system," said Executive Ron Sims. "Regional solutions must include construction of new jail beds."

The county's current budget challenges further complicate the search for solutions to regional jail needs.

"Although the county is fully committed to regional jail planning and is moving forward to pursue a truly integrated system, the county does not have the ability to fund construction and operation of jail capacity for cities," Sims said. "We must work together to meet our collective challenges for providing adequate jail space for the next several years."

Related information

Integrated Regional Jail Initiative Phase I : Preliminary Report and Proviso Response (PDF)

King County Executive, Ron Sims County news Executive initiatives Excellence in Government Executive offices Biography Contact information King County Executive Office Ron Sims, King County Executive 701 Fifth Ave. Suite 3210 Seattle, WA 98104 Phone: 206-296-4040 Fax: 206-296-0194 TTY Relay: 711	KING COUNTY HOME \| NEWS \| SERVICES \| DIRECTORY \| CONTACT King County Executive, Ron Sims King County Executive You're in: King County Executive, Ron Sims print Aug. 5, 2008 Jail planning discussions to move forward A new King County report shows area cities should continue planning underway for new jail facilities as the region will have significant new jail capacity needs in the future. The report is part of the county's regional jail planning effort, begun in 2006, to prepare for the area's future jail needs. The report provides important information needed for King County to continue joint planning with its contract cities whose jail contracts expire in 2012. The County Executive notes the increasing urgency, especially for cities, to add jail capacity. The region's collective detention space needs are significant, and cannot be met within existing county facilities, even with a planned expansion of the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. The Executive has directed staff to accelerate discussions with the cities to explore the possibility of partnerships to meet the region's collective detention space needs, including moving forward with planning for an MRJC expansion. King County is responsible by law for detaining individuals charged with felonies prior to trial, charged with or convicted of misdemeanors originating in unincorporated King County, and convicted of felonies and sentenced to serve less than one year. King County projects that by 2024, it will need approximately 300 beds more than current available King County jail capacity. King County's 36 contract cities (all King County cities, excluding Kent, Enumclaw and Milton), which are responsible for the detention of individuals charged with or sentenced for misdemeanor offenses originating within a city's jurisdiction, project a total inmate population of 1,450 by 2026. This amount exceeds the total existing jail bed capacity at the contract cities' existing municipal jails by over 1,200 inmates. Put simply, the region currently does not have enough jail beds to house all local inmates for all jurisdictions including the cities, the state and the county. By the expiration of the current contract in 2012, there will not be enough regional beds for the city and county inmate populations alone. By 2026, city and county inmate populations will far exceed any regional jail capacity. The county does have the potential to add up to four additional inmate housing units at the Maleng Regional Justice Center and is completing a site master plan for that potential expansion. This expansion can provide additional needed jail beds, but not enough to solve the regional problem completely either in the short-term or the long term. "We support and encourage the cities' jail planning processes and are open to partnering with cities in a variety of ways to assist them in support of a regionally integrated jail system," said Executive Ron Sims. "Regional solutions must include construction of new jail beds." The county's current budget challenges further complicate the search for solutions to regional jail needs. "Although the county is fully committed to regional jail planning and is moving forward to pursue a truly integrated system, the county does not have the ability to fund construction and operation of jail capacity for cities," Sims said. "We must work together to meet our collective challenges for providing adequate jail space for the next several years." Related information Integrated Regional Jail Initiative Phase I : Preliminary Report and Proviso Response (PDF)
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	Updated: Aug. 5, 2008