King County Council votes to keep youth jail open

King County's juvenile detention center will remain open after councilmembers passed a vote 8-0 Tuesday night.

KING COUNTY, Wash. - The future of King County's juvenile detention center is now clear after the County Council unanimously passed a vote to keep the facility open.

The debate, reignited by a proposal from King County Executive Dow Constantine, who advocates for a "no locks, no cells" approach, faced opposition from Councilmember Reagan Dunn, who filed a motion to maintain the facility’s operations.

"We're going to use those facilities, enhance the services there, but also for the worst of the worst, keep them in detention pending trial," Councilmember Reagan Dunn said.

The vote passed 8-0, with Teresa Mosqueda excused. She was out sick.

"In addition to keeping the jail open now, we're also going to try and focus on alternatives to incarceration for our lower level offenders, those that didn't commit murder or rape but are a little bit down the spectrum that could benefit from drug and alcohol counseling, for example, mental health treatment," Councilmember Dunn said.

Tuesday’s council meeting saw significant public opposition to the detention center, with numerous speakers voicing their concerns. The meeting was interrupted multiple times as public comments exceeded the allotted one-minute time frame.

Despite ongoing public comment, Councilmember Dunn expressed confidence that the council learned towards keeping the youth detention facility open indefinitely.

"It’s a big day, we’ve got to decide whether or not we're going to keep the youth jail open," said Dunn. He emphasized the rise in violent crime involving juveniles, stating, "Since 2021, violent felony filings are up 146%. Violent crime and murders involving juveniles are way, way up."

Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center

This discussion follows the county's controversial decision in 2012 to replace an aging juvenile detention center, a project that cost taxpayers more than $240 million. Despite protests advocating for restorative justice instead of incarceration, the new Patricia Clark Children and Family Justice Center broke ground in 2018 and opening it's doors in 2020.

"The facility has classrooms, a gym, and libraries — why would we close it?" Dunn questioned.

King County Executive Dow Constantine has long sought to reimagine the criminal justice system. Four years ago, he emphasized the need to find resources to break the cycle of low-level crime rather than relying solely on incarceration.

"We need to really focus on getting to the root of the problems and a lot of people who are habitually committing low-level crime are not very responsive to the sanctions of the criminal system. They go in for a little while, they go out, and they keep causing trouble. We have to find the resources and redirect their energy to break that cycle, that is what's going to make the community safer," Constantine said in July 2020.

However, Dunn believes that this approach has contributed to the increase in violent juvenile crime.

"Is the system perfect? No, it's not. But for this tiny fraction of youth who are violent and have a continuing pattern of predatory behavior, our only and our best option is for detention at the facility that was designed for juveniles," he stated. "If we close the jail down, it would be a massive, unprecedented waste of taxpayer dollars."

Dunn is strongly against respite houses that could potentially be placed throughout the county, in cities like Bellevue, Renton, Federal Way and Shoreline. The councilmember believes it's unrealistic.

"They want a system where no child is ever incarcerated, no juvenile, and so do I. But the truth is, that's a utopia that doesn't really exist," Dunn said. "Some of these folks are murderers and rapists. They have a long pattern of violent behavior."

Dunn expressed skepticism about the motivations behind organizations advocating for the jail's closure, noting that many nonprofits stand to benefit financially.

"All these nonprofits are hoping that the jail gets closed and then those tens of millions of dollars are put out to their nonprofit organizations. Most of those folks that are testifying are employees. It doesn't mean they don't have strong opinions, but you cannot say that they are neutral or detached or unbiased in their viewpoint," Dunn said.

He linked the decrease in juvenile detentions to the rise in crime, arguing, "You're detaining less youth. They're going to diversion programs, and in many cases, not even reporting there. So they're not getting punished, they're being released in the community, and then they're reoffending. That lack of detention is a direct cause of the 146% increase in violent crime we've seen."

The issue has also prompted a group of retired King County judges to speak out against the closure, breaking judicial norms to urge the council to keep the detention center open. In an op-ed published in The Seattle Times, the judges called for increased funding for juvenile courts to support rehabilitation efforts.

"The youth in detention are facing serious charges. They are a danger to themselves and to the community. They deserve the opportunity to heal, grow, and gain skills while awaiting trial," the judges wrote.

Dunn also emphasized the need to hold young people accountable for violent acts.

"For me, the most important thing is that jail — we have to state clearly and unequivocally that jail will remain open for violent offenders," Dunn said.

Dow Constantine's office stated it would withhold further comment until the final vote is taken.

King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci released the following statement after the vote:

"I join my colleagues in making a clear statement of our Council’s intent to maintain operations of the youth detention facility for those in need of detention while also restating our commitments to improve the legal system and conditions for young people in detention.

"I also thank my colleagues for supporting the principles most important to me in this discussion: That we must go beyond debates about detention and get to work on the supports that will help our young people succeed; that we must continue to support community-based programs for youth and families to prevent and reduce crime, recidivism and victimization; that we support continued innovation, creating new, therapeutic places for young people who do not have a safe home environment and who do not need to be in detention.

"As I said throughout our weeks of debate on this topic, these are not mutually exclusive efforts. They are ‘Yes, and’ commitments. Public safety is one of government’s most sacred duties and I am committed to true public safety, with a variety of approaches. This ranges from meeting basic human needs to supporting strong community connections to offering restorative justice to helping victims of crimes and, yes, providing a secure place to hold people who pose a danger to the community. We owe it to our communities and our young people to provide that full spectrum of public safety services and I believe we can successfully do that. I appreciate that we have had a robust discussion and have taken a position on the CFJC. But this is hardly the end of the discussion. Now, let’s get back to work improving support and outcomes for our young people and making our communities truly safe for everyone."

King County Council likely to keep youth jail open amid rising crime

The King County Council is still considering whether to keep the county's juvenile detention center open, despite seeing significant public opposition to the jail.