Seattle City Council passes legislation diversifying jail options to better address crime

The Seattle City Council today approved legislation, sponsored by Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), to launch a new pilot program with the South Correctional Entity (SCORE) for additional jail services.

The new pilot program, negotiated by Mayor Bruce Harrell’s team, authorizes Seattle to house 20 additional misdemeanor detainees at SCORE. That’s in addition to the detainees held at the King County Jail under Seattle’s contract with King County. The legislation is in response to a dramatic reduction in jail spots available to the city through the King County jail.

“As stated in our Strategic Framework, it’s time for us to end the permissive environment plaguing our city. So, while we lead with compassion, we need the wisdom to recognize that when our community is harmed, we need to be able to enforce the law and help protect our neighborhoods. This pilot program is a step in the right direction while we search for long-term solutions,” said Councilmember Kettle, Chair of the Public Safety Committee.

“This Council in just a few short months has made great strides in addressing the public safety crisis in our city. Seattle needs a multi-faceted approach to adequately address public safety, including diversion and treatment, enforcement, and detention. Today’s vote supports a key public policy tool that is part of our broader public safety strategy. There is still work to do to ensure a safe Seattle, but this vote is another step in the right direction,” said Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1), Vice Chair of the Public Safety Committee.

“Creating jail capacity is just one piece of the puzzle in helping our police officers do their job effectively. Our constituents regularly share their concern about public safety in their neighborhoods and especially in downtown Seattle. The Council’s quick action on the jail pilot program shows that we are committed to doing what we can to improve public safety in this city. But there’s still a lot more to be done,” said Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9).

What led to this pilot program?

The City of Seattle’s ability to book people at the King County Jail has been limited over the past four years. In 2019, the average daily number of misdemeanor detainees from Seattle at King County jail was 180. Last year, it was just 75 – only 42 percent of that 2019 number.

Due to a staffing shortage there, Seattle police are limited to booking people accused of few types of misdemeanor crimes, such as assaults, violations of protection orders, DUI, sex crime, or other charges presenting a serious public safety concern.

The Mayor’s Office is currently in negotiations to loosen those restrictions but reports that those conversations are moving too slowly to meet the immediate public safety needs in Seattle.

How will this pilot program work?

The Mayor’s Office will be charged with developing clear policies to define which crimes qualify for books at score.

Generally, SCORE will be used to hold people accused of misdemeanors for 24-48 hours if they are medically cleared to be booked, have been arrested for offenses that fall outside of the current King County jail booking restrictions but that still have significant impact to the community, and are unlikely to be subject to additional criminal proceedings after their preliminary hearing or arraignment.

More background

Tuesday’s jail legislation marks the adoption of another initiative by the council seeking to improve public safety. The work includes:

Last week, Councilmember Cathy Moore (District 5) joined by Councilmember Kettle and City Attorney Ann Davison, announced new legislation aimed at cracking down on commercial sexual exploitation and the escalating gun violence around Aurora Avenue North. The council will also consider a bill authorizing the creation of Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA). It will allow courts to prohibit a defendant from entering a designated zone if they commit a drug-related criminal offense in that zone.

Both are expected heard at the Public Safety Committee meeting next Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 9:30 a.m.