The Bellingham City Council supports alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders. Jail should not be used as a fallback because of insufficient mental health and substance use treatment. Improving procedures in the criminal justice system also contributes to incarceration reduction. The City of Bellingham has taken the lead in piloting jail alternatives such as electronic home monitoring, and supports countywide efforts to reduce the jail population.
Preventing Incarceration
The City supports existing or new incarceration alternatives such as Drug Court and a Mental Health Court. The City Council is helping to develop reforms through involvement in Whatcom County’s Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force, which is identifying new programs or activities to reduce the jail population — such as improved delivery of local mental health and substance abuse treatment services, and reduction in inappropriate use of the emergency room, 911, and the jail. Justice procedural reforms, such as pretrial risk assessment and provision of pretrial services, are also being considered.
- Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force 2019 Annual Report
- Resolution No. 2017-41, Guiding Principles for Justice and Justice Related Decisions
- Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force Phase III Report, December 5, 2017
- Dan Hammill, “GRACE is key to restorative justice,” Cascadia Weekly, June 28, 2017
- Letter from City Council to Whatcom County Council expressing jail concerns, June 20, 2017
- Anne Deacon, “Whatcom County mental health court helps keep people out of jail, in treatment,” Bellingham Herald, May 10, 2017
- Resolution, April 15, 2016, Statement of Incarceration Prevention and Criminal Justice Planning Principles
City Council Justice Committee
In July 2017 the Bellingham City Council created a new Justice Committee to explore City investments into incarceration alternatives and improved justice procedures, and to ensure that all residents of the CIty are treated fairly and equitably. Meeting videos are linked below.
2019:
- Video, August 26, 2019: Background on SB 5497, Keep Washington Working Act; Discussion of City Complaint Policy and Process
- Video, August 19, 2019: Citywide Policies Related to City Services; Presentation, Join Hands Against Hate; Discussion of Work Group on Immigration
- Video, July 15, 2019: Discussion of Work Plan Items Related to Immigration
- Video, May 20, 2019: Reducing Young Adult Incarceration
- Video, February 25, 2019: Review of Ordinance 2017-02-008 on City Policy on Immigration Enforcement and Equal Protection
2018:
- Video, December 10, 2018: Resolution on Youth and Young Adult Resilience
- Video, September 10, 2018: Domestic Violence Court Presentation
- Video, August 20, 2018, Recommendations in Response to Safe Spaces Report
- Video, April 23, 2018: Presentation on Mental Health Court
- Video, March 26, 2018: Discussion of City of Bellingham Incarceration Expenses
- Video, February 26, 2018: State of the Court Focusing on Jail Alternatives
- Video, February 12, 2018: Discussion of the recommendations of the Vera Institute of Justice
- Video, January 22, 2018: Presentation by the Office of Civil Aid
2017:
- Video, December 11, 2017: Discussion of draft resolution on guiding principles for justice and justice systems
- Video, December 4, 2017: Discussion of draft resolution on guiding principles for justice and justice systems
- Video, November 13, 2017: Discussion of justice principles
- Video, October 23, 2017: Vera Institute of Justice on Incarceration Reduction Strategies
- Video, October 9, 2017: Current Bellingham alternatives to incarceration
- Video, September 25, 2017: Role of the City Prosecutor; Case processing
- Video, September 11, 2017: City of Bellingham Policing Procedures
- Video, August 7, 2017: Electronic Home Monitoring; use of Yakima jail
Whatcom County Jail Stakeholder Workgroup
Two members of the Bellingham City Council participated in a jail stakeholder workgroup set up by the Whatcom County Council. The City Council supported a City-County Memorandum of Agreement to commit at least 25% of available revenues from a jail capital bond to activities that reduce incarceration of individuals with behavioral health conditions, and minimize jail utilization by pretrial defendants who can safely be released.
