June 17, 2009 -- King County Executive responds to Seattle City Council's April 24, 2009, letter requesting an extension to the City's jail contract. Here are the highlights of the King County Executive's response:

• King County is offering an extension through 2015.
• King County is unable to offer a 10-year extension.
• The County's long-term jail forecast indicates that new jail capacity will need to be built in the next 10 years.
• The NEC has told King County it is interested in exploring options for expanding the Maleng Regional Justice Center (as an alternative to building a new jail).
• One of the options the County and NEC are jointly considering is the Annex to the King County Correctional Facility, located in downtown Seattle.

June 11, 2009 -- King County announced today it is preparing to offer a multi-year extension of contracts with the 36 cities it provides jail services to after a new analysis shows a decline in jail use.

The EIS Scoping Summary is now available. This document summarizes the comments received during the EIS Scoping period and identifies the elements that will be analyzed. Based on the feedback received during the EIS Scoping period, the NEC will be adding the following items to the scope of the EIS:

• air quality;
• populations and housing; and
• an analysis of the possible impact of a jail on property values and public safety.

The EIS Scoping Summary Memo from the SEPA Consultant recommended additions to the scope. These additions, along with the complexity of some of the analyses, have impacted the EIS schedule:

• Draft EIS – to be issued in early December 2009
• Draft EIS Public Meetings – to be held in January 2010
• Final EIS – to be issued in the second quarter of 2010

The Summary of Feedback Received from Public Forums is now available.

Why Do Cities in North & East King County, Including Seattle, Need a Municipal Jail?

No one wants to build a jail. However, cities are responsible for jailing people charged with or convicted of misdemeanor offenses.

Most cities within King County have had contracts with the County that allow them to house their misdemeanants in the County’s jails. The cities’ current contract with the County expires in roughly four years.

Because of projected growth in its felony population, the County has stated that it will not have room in its existing jail facilities to house city misdemeanor inmates after the contract expires, and that cities should be planning a replacement facility for the jail beds they are losing at King County.

The County will continue to house those charged with felonies, as state law requires. That means that all the cities in the county have about four years to build new jail space for their misdemeanor populations. Thus cities throughout King County have been working to address the shortage of misdemeanant jail beds.

You'll find more information on this Web site about why these cities need to build a jail and where it might be located.