Debate over future of Seattle's juvenile detention center

The push to keep King County's juvenile detention center open

King County Executive Dow Constantine has been trying to reshape juvenile incarceration to involve fewer prison bars, but the County Council is pushing to keep the Patricia Clark Justice Center open until 2025 amid a spike in youth violence and crime.

KING COUNTY, Wash. - The King County Council’s Law and Justice Committee voted Wednesday to discuss the future of the county’s juvenile detention center.

In April, Councilmember Regan Dunn filed a motion to keep it open until 2028.

King County Executive Dow Constantine has been pushing to reshape juvenile incarceration, but the conversation remains heated.

Public opinion is divided, with over an hour of public comment and 1,000 written submissions to the council. State law requires every county to maintain a juvenile facility, and with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families unable to take more children, the local center has become crucial.

"If we shut down that facility, then where do we send those young people as well?" asked Jimmy Hung, Chief Deputy Prosecutor for the juvenile division at the King County Prosecutor's Office.

Councilmember Dunn cited an increase in youth gun violence as a reason to keep the center open.

"We want to keep the youth jail open because we are seeing an increasing number of gun-related violent crimes involving teenagers," Dunn said.

This claim is supported by King County Juvenile Prosecutors. During Sunday’s Seafair parade, Seattle police arrested three teens for brandishing modified guns.

Historically, the number of teen cases referred to prosecutors has sharply declined, from 15,000 cases annually in the 1990s to 2,800 in 2019. COVID-19 brought those numbers to an all-time low, but 2024 figures still raise concerns.

Still, Hung highlighted the gravity of current cases.

"What should concern everybody is the cases that are coming in do disproportionately involve more serious cases," Hung said.

Teens with class A felonies, the most egregious type, are the ones currently detained at the Patricia Clark Children and Family Justice Center. Factors blamed for the uptick in serious cases include the easy availability of guns and a lack of resources and opportunities for youth.

Perspective:

In 2019, prosecutors were referred 2788 cases. Out of those, 234 were class A felonies, which is about 8%. Hung's division saw a 15% increase in 2023.

"Neither myself nor anyone in our office has ever supported the idea that we can close our juvenile detention facility today or anytime in the very near future," Hung said.

Public sentiment is mixed. Cathy, who witnessed the Sea Fair incident, expressed her fears: "I wondered if a judge will release these children. They’re not adults, they’re children making adult decisions. Next time someone could die, and that could be me. It could be any of us." She believes a functioning juvenile detention facility is necessary.

Conversely, Alexandra Narvaez, a youth attorney, emphasized the unmet mental health and chemical dependency needs of the children involved.

"At the end of the day, the 13-14 year olds that were just mentioned are kids with largely unmet mental health and chemical dependency needs," Narvaez said.

Many other non-profits, young adults, mothers and victims shared their perspective.

The committee's vote for the motion ended in a 50-50 split. Amendments were discussed but nothing moved forward, so in a unanimous vote, councilmembers agreed to advance the proposal without recommendation to the full council for further discussion.

Chairman Jorge Baron expressed hope for a balanced solution.

"I’m hopeful that we can come up with language that will both reflect the necessity to maintain the current system but also continue the conversation toward a system that will lead to better outcomes," he said.

Executive Constantine criticized the ongoing debate. His office sent FOX 13 the following statement:

"This political sideshow at the County Council is a distraction from the real work we need to focus on, which is replacing harmful, expensive, ineffective practices and with better conditions for the youth in our care. I have made clear that we cannot and will not replace the existing facility until there is a demonstrated successful alternative(s) in place. That is the work we are focused on now. King County is committed to creating effective, supportive responses for youth, focusing on interrupting violence, accountability for actions, promoting healing for victims, and addressing basic needs. The fact is that what we do in the criminal legal system, and what we have been doing in the criminal legal system forever, does not produce the outcomes we want - safe communities and healthy kids.

Fundamentally, we can do better. We know this because others, around the country and around the world, are figuring out how to do better. We can respond to our young people in ways that support their potential to become contributing adults while ensuring community safety. I am not going to give in to the narrative that we are helpless - that we have no choice but to write off young people who are caught up in a grossly racially disproportionate system. We need to get back to work and act with the urgency required to do better now, and in the future, to bring us closer to true public safety."

King County Council will discuss the motion further at their next regular meeting on August 20.