CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to jail services; authorizing the Mayor to execute an Interlocal Agreement with South Correctional Entity for the provision of jail services; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
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WHEREAS, the Seattle City Charter entrusts the Mayor with maintaining peace and order in The City of Seattle (City), which includes the enforcement of City laws; and
WHEREAS, the City has been a leader in developing and supporting alternatives to the criminal legal system, including diversion programs such as LEAD and diversified response teams such as CARE; and
WHEREAS, the City has taken meaningful steps to reduce bias within the criminal legal system, including investing in upstream solutions, supporting community-led programs, and passing ordinances such as the anti-bias policing law, the “ban the box” law, and legislation mandating that Seattle examine every law and policy through a racial and social justice lens; and
WHEREAS, the City has developed a new model for providing treatment and diversion services to those involved with the criminal legal system, including through the recently passed public use and possession ordinance and place-based approaches to reduce crime; and
WHEREAS, the City has invested in treatment models and programs to help those suffering from addiction and mental illness and to minimize those individuals’ involvement in the criminal legal system; and
WHEREAS, while jail is not always the first or most appropriate option for someone engaged in unlawful activities, it is necessary for ensuring a functioning criminal legal system; and
WHEREAS, ensuring everyone in Seattle is safe requires a system that provides an array of options to reduce recidivism and prevent crime; and
WHEREAS, the status quo of people suffering on our streets in a frequent cycle of arrest, release, and re-offense fails to address root causes, serving neither those suffering nor the larger Seattle community; and
WHEREAS, the lack of capacity, innovation, and flexibility in Seattle’s current criminal justice system is not effectively delivering the appropriate resources to those in need nor holding offenders appropriately accountable for their actions; and
WHEREAS, Seattle pays for the confinement of individuals who are charged or convicted of committing misdemeanor crimes under the Seattle Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, South Correctional Entity (SCORE) is a governmental administrative agency formed under the Interlocal Cooperation Act (chapter 39.34 RCW); and
WHEREAS, the Interlocal Cooperation Act and the City and County Jails Act (chapter 70.48 RCW) authorize cities to enter interlocal agreements for jail services; and
WHEREAS, SCORE and the City seek to partner to ensure additional jail space is secure, safe for inmates and others, and in line with national best practices; and
WHEREAS, expanding the facilities at which misdemeanor detainees can be booked will help build a better functioning correctional and criminal legal system; and
WHEREAS, expanded jail services at SCORE will be an additional tool for law enforcement and will not change the City’s goal of diverting misdemeanor offenders to case workers, treatment, and other services when appropriate; and
WHEREAS, the City intends to enter into a pilot program to house misdemeanor detainees at the SCORE facility, will continuously assess the effectiveness of this program, and reserves the right to terminate this program if it does not meet the needs of the City; and
WHEREAS, the City will ensure that all inmates are offered the opportunity to work with staff on release planning; and
WHEREAS, the City will collaborate with outreach providers, case workers, and shelter and permanent supportive housing providers to coordinate warm handoffs upon release; and
WHEREAS, the City will maximize the ability of inmates to receive medication for opioid use disorders and medical treatment; and
WHEREAS, individuals booked into SCORE by SPD that are considered “Trueblood” class members will be given the opportunity to participate in a new program at SCORE with the goal of ensuring incarcerated individuals do not recompensate; and
WHEREAS, the City will address outstanding operational requirements and set internal policies prior to commencing bookings at SCORE; and
WHEREAS, the City will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that existing and future operational concerns and issues are mitigated wherever possible so that the use of additional jail services has as minimal of an impact as possible on the functioning of the overall system; and
WHEREAS, the City will create an opportunity for an ongoing workgroup to assess how the additional jail services are working and to ensure that they are meeting the objectives of the City set forth herein and in the Interlocal Agreement ultimately agreed to; NOW, THEREFORE;
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Mayor, or the Mayor’s designee, is authorized to execute, for and on behalf of The City of Seattle, an agreement with South Correctional Entity, a governmental agency, substantially in the form of the Interlocal Agreement for Inmate Housing Between South Correctional Entity and The City of Seattle attached to this ordinance as Attachment 1, provided, that the Mayor submits to the Clerk of the Council a report before the Interlocal Agreement is executed. The report shall address the operational issues identified by the Mayor’s Stakeholder Workgroup.
Section 2. The Mayor is authorized to decrease or increase the number of Guaranteed Beds in Exhibit A of Attachment 1 subject to appropriation authority.
Section 3. Any act consistent with the authority of this ordinance taken after its passage and prior to its effective date is ratified and confirmed.
Section 4. This ordinance shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Sections 1.04.020 and 1.04.070.
Passed by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2024, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this ________ day of _________________________, 2024.
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President ____________ of the City Council
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Approved / |
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returned unsigned / |
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vetoed this _____ day of _________________, 2024. |
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Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2024.
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Scheereen Dedman, City Clerk
(Seal)
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Interlocal Agreement for Inmate Housing Between South Correctional Entity and The City of Seattle