The Metropolitan King County Council committee recently discussed the future of the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center in Seattle. The committee decided to delay a vote on whether to keep the youth detention center open. County Executive Dow Constantine has been working for years to find alternatives to youth detention, but Councilmember Reagan Dunn proposed a motion to continue operating the facility without committing to a specific plan. The council was divided on Dunn’s proposal, leading to a decision to bring the vote to the full council in a month.
There is uncertainty about the future of the detention center, with no clear consensus on what a replacement facility would look like or if it would be a secure facility. Dunn argued that the detention center is a crucial service for King County, especially for repeat, violent offenders who use firearms. However, Councilmember Jorge L. Barón expressed concerns that Dunn’s motion might endorse the current status quo and hinder efforts to find alternatives to detention.
Over 100 people attended the committee meeting to express their opinions, with the majority opposing the proposal. Many cited the lack of resources for community support to prevent crime and the racial disparities in incarceration. More than half of the youth detained at the center are Black, despite Black people making up only 7% of King County’s population. Barón highlighted that constituents are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs.
The King County is required by the state to operate a juvenile detention facility, and closing the center would require judicial approval and legislative changes. Efforts to close the facility by 2025 have stalled, with an advisory committee failing to agree on replacement options. The center currently holds fewer youth for longer periods, with serious cases taking longer to resolve.
The detention center lacks appropriate support programs and is not designed for long stays, leading to overcrowding and unsafe conditions. Katie Hurley from the King County Department of Public Defense warned that failing to address the overcrowding issue could lead King County down the same path as the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families, which recently suspended intakes to state-run facilities due to overcrowding.
The full council is set to vote on the proposal in August. It is crucial for the council to consider the voices of the community, address the racial disparities in incarceration, and find alternative solutions to youth detention. The future of the detention center will have a significant impact on the lives of young individuals in King County.
