Summary

The Metropolitan King County Council has unanimously confirmed Executive Ron Sims’ appointee Kathleen Van Olst as the new director of the county’s Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD).

Story

The Metropolitan King County Council has unanimously confirmed Executive Ron Sims' appointee Kathleen Van Olst as the new director of the county's Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD).

Van Olst is a veteran Chief Deputy Prosecutor who has been running the department on an interim basis since October. She previously served in the King County Prosecutor's Office managing the new Complex Prosecutions and Investigations Division which handles complex economic crime and other difficult cases in cooperation with law enforcement investigators. Van Olst replaced Reed Holtgeerts, who recently retired after nearly 32 years with the department.

Van Olst previously served as Assistant Chief Deputy to the county's Criminal Division, helping to manage operations that included 250 employees and 20,000 criminal cases each year.

In her new role as Director of the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention, Van Olst oversees the overall planning and operations of an urban, multi-facility correctional services system with nearly 1,000 employees, two adult detention facilities, a Community Corrections Division, a Juvenile Division and an Administrative Division.

"Ms. Van Olst is an experienced manager who is well respected among all institutions involved with criminal justice," said Executive Sims. "I know she will lead our department in ways that continue to make us a leader in areas such as alternatives to detention, and continue efforts to break down silos between operational areas to better serve our community. We are honored to have her as a part of King County government."

"We are fortunate to have an experienced and knowledgeable leader who will provide strong direction for our corrections system that focuses on restorative justice," said Councilmember Kathy Lambert, chair of the Law and Justice Committee. "I am impressed with her vision of corrections as an opportunity to reach people who need help and give them the tools to turn their lives around. Kathy is committed to reducing recidivism. That's the best way to save money in our criminal justice system and to improve our quality of life."

In addition to her work in the Prosecutor's Office, Van Olst was a member of the committee responsible for the drafting and implementation of new alternatives to detention for the King County Jail. She has a law degree from Columbus School of Law in Washington, DC and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington.