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King County Capacity Options: 2002 - 2010Report May 2002
Introduction
The purpose of the Adult Justice Operational Master Plan (AJOMP) and the recommendations contained in this report are to:
- Explore alternative types of sanctions that would meet the needs of public safety, be cost effective, reduce future criminal behavior,
- Identify justice system process improvements that will reduce costs, and
- Establish a capacity framework and recommendations for King County detention facilities, including addressing the need to build additional jail capacity, for the next decade.
The 1991 Law, Safety, and Justice Agencies Facility Master Plan (Master Facility Plan) recommended and implemented the last major
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development of secure detention, Superior Court, District Court, and criminal justice administration with the construction and opening of the Regional Justice Center (RJC) in Kent, Washington in 1997. The Master Facility Plan also provided a 20-year forecasted look at detention in King County and recommended, based on forecasted inmate population needs at the time, building additional capacity by June of 1999 by either expanding capacity of the RJC or building new capacity on the eastside dependent upon the forecasted demographic changes of the inmate population. The additional capacity was not built. As the County looks at the future jail capacity needs, in December of 2001, the cost to expand the RJC to add 428 new secure beds was estimated at $32 million with an annual operating cost of $7 million. Due to current financial constraints, King County is not in a position to allocate resources to construct and operate a secure detention expansion at the RJC.
In response to a growing detention population that is projected to exceed detention capacity space in the near future, and to determine if there are populations being housed in the jail that could be sanctioned in a less restrictive manner, the AJOMP was established. The King County Council through Motion 11001, passed on September 5, 2000, authorized the work plan, staffing, and funding of the AJOMP.
In the 2002 budget, the Council expanded the AJOMP role to include recommendations for the use of treatment resources to reduce jail use and to provide recommendations regarding the use and continued operations of Cedar Hills Addiction Treatment Facility (CHAT) and North Rehabilitation Facility (NRF). The purpose of which is to respond to how these two heavily subsidized, and aging facilities fit into the overall plans to cost effectively expand treatment services and offer alternatives to jail for low risk offenders.
In order to accomplish these objectives, an Advisory Committee chaired by the Honorable Bobbe Bridge, Washington Supreme Court Justice, provided oversight. Under the direction of the Advisory Committee, the AJOMP established three inter-jurisdictional and inter-agency groups led by judges of the King County Superior Court, District Court, and Seattle Municipal Court.
- The Felony Work Group - charged with the goal of reviewing, analyzing, and recommending process changes in case handling for the pre-trial felony (Superior Court) population.
- Misdemeanor Work Group - charged with the goal of reviewing, analyzing, and recommending process changes in case handling for the pre-trial misdemeanor (District Court and Courts of Limited Jurisdiction) population.
- Alternatives Work Group - charged with the goal of reviewing, analyzing, and recommending alternatives to jail.
AJOMP worked in collaboration with representatives from King County, state criminal justice agencies, local cities, and human service and community stakeholders.
For more information, please contact:
Toni Rezab, Sr. Policy Analyst
King County Office of Management and Budget
206-296-7625
toni.rezab@metrokc.gov
Updated: Jan. 16, 2003
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