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Housing of Declined Juveniles

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Housing of Declined Juveniles

Document Code No.: JJS-8-1-EO
Sponsoring Agency: Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention
Effective Date: November 2, 2017
Approved: /s/ Dow Constantine
Type of Action: New

Signed document (PDF, 98KB)

An Executive Order directing that newly declined juveniles be housed at the Youth Services Center (YSC) , and that the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) work with other County Departments and Offices to operationalize capacity at the YSC sufficient to house all declined juveniles by no later than March 1, 2018.


WHEREAS, The Legislature has determined that juveniles of a certain age charged with committing certain crimes must be charged as adults; and

 

WHEREAS, The King County Prosecutor has the discretion to request that juveniles of a certain age charged with committing certain crimes be charged as adults and the Court has the decision-making authority to make that determination; and

WHEREAS, The County Executive has the authority to make the administrative decision as to where declined juveniles are to be housed; and


WHEREAS, The County Executive has previously stated a long-term goal of housing declined juveniles at the new Children and Families Justice Center detention facility once it is operational by 2020.  In addition, the County’s Juvenile Justice Equity Steering Committee recommended that ‘King County phase in moving youth charged as adults, and currently held in our adult detention facilities, to our youth detention facility’ in 2017; and


WHEREAS, The recent lawsuit filed by Columbia Legal Services, though still under review, has highlighted what we have known: there is a difference in services provided to juveniles housed at the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) relative to YSC and we have the opportunity to offer juveniles currently housed at the MRJC more services at YSC; and

 

WHEREAS, Prior to October 25, 2017, 3 female declined juveniles and 1 male declined juvenile were housed at the YSC; and  


WHEREAS, As of November 2, 2017, 15 declined juveniles are housed at the MRJC and 9 declined juveniles are housed at the YSC.  On October 26, 2017, 5 declined juveniles were moved from MRJC to YSC.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Dow Constantine, King County Executive, do hereby order and direct: 

  1. Effective immediately, subject to full discharge of our bargaining obligations with our unions, King County will no longer move newly declined juveniles from YSC to MRJC.
  2. DAJD with assistance from the Facilities Management Division of the Department of Executive Services shall begin physical repairs and remodeling necessary at the YSC to expand capacity and open three additional halls for housing.
  3. DAJD shall work with the Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget to identify funding options for additional staff, and to operationalize this expansion of capacity no later than March 1, 2018.
  4. DAJD shall actively manage the daily population.This effort, coupled with additional staffing and physical capacity at YSC, will eliminate any remaining declined juveniles at MRJC by March 1, 2018.
  5. In emergency circumstances DAJD retains the discretion to house declined juveniles in an adult correctional facility.

Dated this 2nd day of November, 2017.

/s/ Dow Constantine
King County Executive

Attest:
/s/ Norm Alberg
Director, Records and Licensing Services Division

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