Proposed Seattle jail pilot program moves on to full city council for final vote
(The Center Square) – The Seattle Public Safety Committee is recommending approval for a proposed pilot program that would see some misdemeanor offenders spending time at the South Correctional Facility, or SCORE.
The pilot program is meant to be an alternative to jailing repeat offenders and is part of a plan to be more consistent in responding to misdemeanors.
The program would include an interlocal agreement with SCORE in Des Moines, including authorizing Seattle to use at least 20 beds at the facility. The facility has 802 beds, including a 29-bed medical observation unit.
SCORE would house misdemeanor detainees for 24 to 48 hours, as well as misdemeanor arrestees who would be taken to the facility if arrested for a misdemeanor crime that warrants detention under specific public safety conditions, according to a presentation.
The city currently contracts with the King County Correctional Facility. Seattle’s average number of misdemeanor offenders held in jail in 2023 was 180, which is half of what it was in 2019, with 75. All the while, there is a lack of available correction officers.
Cost estimates range from $1.5 million to $3 million per year, depending on utilization rate. The facility’s jail beds would be paid for with underspent funds from the city’s King County jail contract. The cost for 20 beds in the prison from September through December is estimated to total $600,000.
In 2025, the beds would be paid for as part of the general fund.
In a previous public safety committee meeting on July 23, Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison said Seattle police officers are not able to book over half of the city’s misdemeanor crimes listed in the city’s laws. This includes: theft, trespassing, harassment, property destruction and animal cruelty, among others.
This is a result of an executive order issued by King County Executive Dow Constantine in March 2020 that sought to reduce the jail population due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Constantine’s executive order limited misdemeanor bookings to the following: misdemeanor assaults; violations of no contact or protection orders; driving under the influence; sex crimes; and other charges presenting a serious public safety concern.
The booking restrictions were slightly loosened in February 2022, but remain in place.
During the Seattle Public Safety Committee meeting on Wednesday, public commenters were split on the proposed bill. Some argued that the bill does not help address the root cause of crime, while those in favor of the bill say crime in their neighborhoods are worsening and they feel unsafe.
The committee voted 4-0 in favor of Council Bill 120825 on Wednesday with one abstention. The legislation will now face a final vote by the full Seattle City Council at a later date.
