Why do we need a new Whatcom County jail?

Our downtown Bellingham jail was out-of-date and undersized the day it opened in 1984. Since then, numerous commissions, committees, consultants, and County administrations have made the case that the Whatcom County’s downtown jail is inhumane, overcrowded, a liability risk, and should have been replaced long ago. Its infrastructure and condition are dangerous for both inmates and staff.

Is it really as bad as they say?

The current facility is costly to maintain and operate, resulting in millions of taxpayer dollars spent on a facility that is beyond the end of its service life. Inmates do not have adequate access to fresh air, natural light, or recreation. The poor condition of the facility and inadequate space deeply constrain access to medical and behavioral health care, visitation with family and legal counsel, and meal preparation.

Releasing inmates to make room

Due to overcrowding, booking restrictions have been in place in Whatcom county since 2015, allowing many people suspected of committing crimes to be booked and released to the street instead of held in the interest of public safety and accountability.

Levies to replace our jail failed in both 2015 and 2017. Since then a broad group of citizens and professionals have worked to determine how a right-sized, modern, humane jail facility would be configured to provide the best outcomes for our community. They determined that the jail should be one part of a constellation of criminal justice and behavioral health services and facilities. The jail itself would have a behavioral health care center for mental health and substance use treatment co-located with the facility because jailing people in crisis isn’t effective or humane.

Image: Whatcom Watch