Mayor Seth Fleetwood on Whatcom County’s incoherent criminal justice system

From City of Bellingham’s official website:

Mayor Fleetwood believes in the importance of diverse viewpoints and building coalitions that make progress towards a forward-thinking, enlightened city.

Bellingham mayor Seth Fleetwood records and shares his video testimony to Whatcom County. In it, he calls for an update on Whatcom criminal justice system in conjunction with coherent behavioral health programs for inmates.

Currently, there are no accessible resources to rehabilitate and educate non-violent offenders in Whatcom County jail. The infrastructure problems that plague the jail have come about and been present for years. The main issue is quite simple and stems from a jail that was built 40 years ago to house a highly reduced Whatcom County population. For Whatcom to compete with other counties around the U.S, we must look to provide space for programs and access to common services for inmates. This will provide a chance for them to step out of the revolutions of Whatcom County’s door and take a breather. Perhaps a long enough breathe to reflect and change their behaviors that brought them to Whatcom jail in the first place.