Is it true most people in Whatcom County jail are pretrial (not serving a sentence)?

“Most defendants in our jail are awaiting trial. That’s because defendants who have been convicted of lesser crimes (sentences of one year or less are served in county jails; sentences of over a year in state penitentiaries) are usually sentenced to diversion programs, community service, electronic home monitoring and other sentences that keep them out of the jail and reserve jail space for those for whom it is truly necessary.

The goal is to keep defendants who are charged with or convicted of low-level crimes out of jail and placed in programs with better outcomes. But in doing so it also means defendants in jail now are those charged with more serious crimes. They often have criminal histories that raise real concerns about public safety if released into the community.”

From an article by Retired Whatcom Superior Court Judge Deborra Garrett

Image: Cascadia Daily