Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force 2023 searchable meeting summaries / Noisy Waters Northwest

May 21, 2023 Dena Jensen

In this post you will find the content of the meeting summaries of the Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force that are currently available so far for 2023. This is a period when the focus of the Task Force has more prominently centered on the intersection of their work with Whatcom County’s Justice Project.

Whatcom County Council has accepted recommendations, and will soon potentially propose funding for a new jail along with mental and behavioral health services/facilities related to incarceration, as well as reducing and preventing incarceration.

A Justice Project Needs Assessment report was created by a Justice Project Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) which contained recommendations approved by a majority of the members. I have posted searchable meeting summaries for the SAC on this blog site as well.

Subsequent to the Needs Assessment report, a Justice Project Implementation Plan was developed. According to the Justice Project webpage, “The goal of the plan is to provide adequate facilities, staffing, resources and services at all points of contact between the community and the criminal legal system and to deliver on the Needs Assessment’s vision, values, and goals for the criminal legal system in Whatcom County.”

According to the description on the Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force webpage on the Whatcom County website:

“The Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force has worked since 2015 to increase resources to address underlying causes of incarceration in order to prevent incarceration outright—and lead people out of the criminal legal system and into supportive services, reducing the chances of re-incarceration.

“The Task Force is responsible for reviewing Whatcom County’s criminal legal and behavioral health programs and making specific recommendations on evidence-based programs and approaches to safely and effectively serve people first—reducing racial disparities in the system and the incarceration of individuals struggling with mental illness and substance use disorder.”

There is an agenda item for the Justice Project on each of the IPRTF meeting agendas for 2023. There were also multiple Task Force workshops that were held, on each of which the full focus was a different facet of the Justice Project needs assessment report recommendations.

Placing all the 2023 IPRTF meeting summaries in this blog post will allow people to search on things like key words, topics, dates, service providers, programs, or people’s names. For each meeting date, a link is also provided near the top of that edition of a meeting summary to access the copy which is posted on the Whatcom County website.

On Wednesday, May 24th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. there will be a community Town Hall “Listening Session” for the Justice Project Implementation Plan, “and Whatcom County’s path forward to transform our criminal legal and behavioral health systems.” ((Link to attend the Town Hall: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84486225171?pwd=MyttaURHOFhpQ2ltM1VsK1FnSkN2UT09 )

2023 meetings of the Task Force included presentations and discussions evaluating justice system and mental and behavioral health policies, programs, services, and facilities which are currently in place, as well as those that are needed but are not in place or which have insufficient capacity or other qualities.

Holding down both the Control and F keys on a Windows computer keyboard at the same time, or holding down both the Command and F keys on an Apple computer keyboard at the same time, should give people a search field to enter words and phrases to look for.

My goal is to continue to build on a project of assembling local government meeting minutes into batches that can be searched for material like a topic, presentation, person in attendance, or actions of the members of the body that is meeting.

I recently created a Searchable Minutes page on this blog site where folks can find links to all the posts of different years of Whatcom County and Bellingham searchable minutes I have put together so far. Here is the link to that page: https://noisywatersnw.com/searchable-minutes/

Additionally, on a computer, the Searchable Minutes page should show up with other page buttons under the header for my blog site. On a mobile device, the Searchable Minutes page should show up when you click on the Menu button.

Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force 2023 searchable meeting summaries / Noisy Waters Northwest

Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force: Law & Justice Council

Meeting Summary for January 23, 2023

[ https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/73570/IPRTF-Summary-1232023 ]

Agenda item links to YouTube video are functional at the time this meeting summary was created, however, YouTube links may change. Links in this document will not be updated. Please refer to the time notation on each agenda item.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Call to Order

Committee Chair Stephen Gockley called the meeting to order at 9:03 a.m. The meeting was held via Zoom Webinar and in person at the Whatcom County Council Conference Room, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, Washington

Members Present: Arlene Feld, Barry Buchanan, Bill Elfo, Bruce VanGlubt, Dave Reynolds, Deborah Hawley, Donnell Tanksley, Heather Flaherty, Maia Vanyo, Mike Hilley, Perry Mowery, Raylene King, Rebecca Mertzig, Scott Korthuis, Seth Fleetwood, Stephen Gockley, Tyler Schroeder

Members Absent: Dan Hammill, Darlene Peterson, David Freeman, Eric Petersen, Eric Richey, Greg Winter, Jack Hovenier, Jason McGill, Jenn Lockwood

2. Pyramid Communications (00:01:26)

Emily Goetz and Sakara Remmu of Pyramid Communications gave an update on their purpose, message testing and communicating/delivery of information out to the community.

Pyramid welcomes feedback on what is most helpful to have in communications training.

3. Justice Project Needs Assessment final report (00:26:00)

Mardi Solomon spoke on the final assessment of the Justice Project Needs, poll results, needs & recommendations poll results and an overview of the vision values and goal statements.

There were 6 amendments offered by Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) members and 2 additional amendments developed, all 8 amendments were approved by the SAC.

IPRTF feedback is welcome. There was discussion on those amendments among the IPRTF members. There will be a vote on these amendments in the SAC meeting held on January 26th. This assessment will be presented to County Council on February 7th and voted on my council on February 21st.

A Motion was made on the amendments:

The Task Force endorses the Justice Project Needs Assessment report as ultimately approved by the Stakeholder Advisory Committee.

Motion carried 13 – 0

4. Pretrial Services Unit and risk assessment (00:23:49)

David Reynolds, Superior Court Administrator, spoke on pre-trial services losing a manager in their office. They are working on finding out what are the most appropriate services to offer.

Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force: Law & Justice Council

Meeting Summary for January 23, 2023

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Committee Updates (01:24:27)

Barry Buchanan reported on the Steering Committee. They had discussion on:

• the Justice Needs Assessment

• Report from Pyramid Communications

• Composition and role in steering

Stephen Gockley reported on Behavioral Health. Discussion was on:

• Legislative Priorities “wish list”

• Email correspondence with state agencies on the TrueBlood settlement

6. Other Business

There was no other business.

7. Public Comment (01:36:00)

Kristin Hanna

8. Adjourn

The meeting adjourned at 10:44 a.m.

***************************************

Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force: Law and Justice Council

Meeting Summary for February 27, 2023

[ https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/73051/Summary-IPTRF-2272023 ]

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Call to Order

Committee Chair Stephen Gockley called the meeting to order at 9:01 a.m. The meeting was held via remote-only Zoom Webinar and in person at the Whatcom County Council Conference Room, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, Washington

Members Present: Arlene Feld, Barry Buchanan, Bill Elfo, Bruce Van Glubt, Dan Hammil, Darlene Peterson, Deborah Hawley, Donnell Tanksley, Eric Richey, Heather Flaherty, Jack Hovenier, Maia Vanyo, Mike Hilley, Perry Mowery, Raylene King, Rebecca Mertzig, Scott Korthuis, Stephen Gockley, Tyler Schroeder

Members Absent: Dave Reynolds, David Freeman, Eric Petersen, Greg Winter, Jason McGill, Jenn Lockwood

2. Justice Project (00:01:15)

Barry Buchanan spoke on the Needs Assessment report and the 3 amendments that passed. County Council voted 7-0 to pass the report. The next phase is the implementation plan. There are upcoming workshops in March and April to go over systems, services, facilities and funding, which will be presented to the County Council in June to place on the November ballot.

3. Legislative priorities for State Representatives (00:26:00)

Mike Parker gave an update on the behavioral health “wish list” presented to legislature. He was able to meet with both the City and County officials to get input on the priorities. Members ended up talking to all representatives in the 46th District. The legislative priorities should be competency restoration, reimbursement rates to the work force, prescription abilities in the jail, a behavioral health facility, and a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment facility.

4. Competency Restoration Workgroup (00:39:02)

Perry Mowery talked about composition of the workgroup and their focus on challenges going on in the state. The main goals and purpose of the group are as follows:

• Understanding challenges Whatcom County in experiencing in competency restoration

• Tracking current legislation

• Legislation communication

• Researching outpatient competency restoration / diversion programs

Thomas Kinlan with the Department of Social Health Services (DSHS) will present on Trueblood implementation at the next joint Behavioral Health / Legal and Justice meeting on March 14th.

5. Committee Updates (00:49:08)

Barry Buchanan spoke on behalf of the Steering Committee. The contract with Pyramid Communications is working on message development and community outreach, which include

Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force: Law and Justice Council

Meeting Summary for February 27, 2023

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

reaching out to community partners via email, updated webpages, local and statewide op-eds, Facebook and Instagram. The Steering Committee is working on the make up of the committee and becoming more diverse.

Arlene Feld spoke on behalf of the Legal and Justice Committee. They had a presentation on the Family Justice Court from Angela Anderson and Jake Wiebusch with District Court.

Caleb Erickson and Wendy Jones with the Whatcom County Jail spoke on the need for re-entry specialists, medication and a better process for court hearings. Many people are waiting for a long time in jail for their hearing to be set.

Mike Parker spoke on the Behavioral Health Committee. They have been reflecting on what they did in 2022 and what remains to be worked on in 2023. They are focusing on competency restoration, re-entry specialists, new trends in drugs and their effects.

6. Other Business (01:05:20) There was no other business. 7. Public Comment

• Michelle Mason – FOTi / re-entry director

• Kehaulani Walker – FOTi /Founder

• Andi Douglass

• Josh (no last name provided)

8. Adjourn

The meeting adjourned at 10:27 a.m.

************************************************

Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force / Law and Justice Council SPECIAL MEETING

Justice Project Implementation Planning

Workshop #1: Systems

Meeting Summary for Thursday, March 9th, 2023

[ https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/73244/IPRTF-Special-Meeting-Summary03-09-2023-Workshop-1-Systems ]

_____________________________________________________________________________________

1. Call to Order

Barry Buchanan, Councilmember and Justice Project Planning Team Chair, called the meeting to order at 9:32 a.m. The meeting was held via Zoom Webinar and in person at the Whatcom County Council Conference Room, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, Washington.

Members Present: Jack Hovenier (Co-chair), Stephen Gockley (Co-chair), Barry Buchanan, Arlene Feld, David Freeman, Perry Mowery, Dave Reynolds, Raylene King, Heather Flaherty, Darlene Peterson, Rebecca Mertzig, Donnell Tanksley, Bruce Van Glubt, Scott Korthuis, Eric Petersen, Bill Elfo, Maialisa Vanyo, Satpal Sidhu, Mike Hilley, Daniel Hammill, Deborah Hawley

Additional Participants: Tyler Schroeder, David Crass, Kayla Schott-Bressler, Brian Heinrich, Michael Lilliquist, Wendy Jones, Jay Hart, Michael Smith, Mike Parker, Malora Christensen, Jed Holmes, Louise Trapp, Doug Chadwick, Caleb Erickson

Members Absent: Greg Winter, Jenn Lockwood, Jason McGill, Eric Richey, Seth Fleetwood Council Staff: Cathy Halka and Jill Nixon, Whatcom County.

Facilitators: Holly O’Neil and Mardi Solomon, Crossroads Consulting

Barry welcomed everyone and introduced the Justice Project Planning Team: Jack Hovenier, Stephen Gockley, and Tyler Schroeder, with support from Council Staff, Cathy Halka and Jill Nixon, and facilitation by Holly O’Neil and Mardi Solomon of Crossroads Consulting.

2. Overview of Implementation Planning Process (00:01:00)

Holly O’Neil reviewed the meeting agenda. She then provided an orientation to the implementation planning process. This included a review of the development of the Justice Project Needs Assessment. The Needs and Recommendations in the Needs Assessment provide the foundational material upon which the implementation plan will be built.

The scope of work is to identify specific actions that will advance the recommendations over a 1-3 year timeframe, as well as identification of leaders/organizations to guide implementation, locations for proposed facilities, costs estimates, and a funding approach.

The planning process will involve 5 weekly workshops, focus groups with priority audiences in April, and a public Town Hall in May 24. There will be regular check-ins with the IPRTF/Law & Justice Council and County Council April – June.

3. This Workshop Focuses on Systems (00:12:00)

Mardi Solomon defined what we mean by “systems”: The practices, policies, structures, and funding related to the functioning of the criminal legal system and the behavioral healthcare system. The systems section of the needs assessment has 7 needs and 12 corresponding recommendations which

were the focus of this meeting. Worksheets completed by participants in the implementation planning process were compiled and analyzed for this discussion.

The recommendations were grouped into three clusters for discussion, taking into account overlaps between recommendations. The remainder of the workshop involved interactive discussion of work currently in process, what is needed for successful implementation, questions that need to be answered, and next steps related to these three topics. See links to those discussions, below:

• Increasing access to competency restoration – inpatient and outpatient (00:17:39)

• Reducing number of people held in jail pretrial – expand use of diversion services and reduce

use of bail (01:19:07)

• Data gathering and monitoring to track progress toward intended outcomes (01:49:49)

4. Next Steps and Closing Comments (2:21:58)

**********************************************

Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force / Law and Justice Council SPECIAL MEETING

Justice Project Implementation Planning

Workshop #2: Services

Meeting Summary for Friday, March 17th, 2023

[ https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/73382/Summary-Special-IPRTF-Meeting-March-17-2023 ]

_____________________________________________________________________________________

To view video recording, click on the link in the section heading.

1. Call to Order

Barry Buchanan, Councilmember and Chair of the Justice Project Planning Team, called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m. The meeting was held via remote-only Zoom Webinar and in person at the Whatcom County Council Conference Room, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, Washington.

Members Present: Jack Hovenier (Co-chair), Stephen Gockley (Co-chair), Barry Buchanan, Arlene Feld, David Freeman, Perry Mowery, Raylene King, Heather Flaherty, Darlene Peterson, Donnell Tanksley, Bruce Van Glubt, Scott Korthuis, Eric Petersen, Maialisa Vanyo, Mike Hilley, Deborah Hawley, Rebecca Mertzig, Satpal Sidhu

Additional Participants: Tyler Schroeder, Kayla Schott-Bressler, Brian Heinrich, Michael Lilliquist, Wendy Jones, Malora Christensen, Jed Holmes, Doug Chadwick, Caleb Erickson, Lacey McCarley, Melissa Keely, Thomas McAuliffe, Thomas Wynne, Julie Grendon, Louise Trapp

Members Absent: Daniel Hammill, Bill Elfo, Dave Reynolds, Greg Winter, Jenn Lockwood, Jason McGill, Eric Richey, Seth Fleetwood

Council Staff: Cathy Halka and Jill Nixon, Whatcom County.

Facilitators: Holly O’Neil and Mardi Solomon, Crossroads Consulting

Barry welcomed everyone and introduced the Justice Project Planning Team: Stephen Gockley, Jack Hovenier, and Tyler Schroeder, with support from Crossroads Consulting and Council Staff.

Jack Hovenier offered a Land Acknowledgement: Before we begin, we acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional and unceded territory of the Lummi, Nooksack, Samish and Semiahmoo People who have cared for and tended this land since time immemorial. Truth and acknowledgment are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and difference. We begin this effort to acknowledge what has been buried by honoring the truth. We pay respect to their elders past and present. Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us together here today. And please join us in uncovering such truths at any and all public events.

2. Overview of Implementation Planning Process (00:02:24)

Public comments are welcome at any time by emailing: IPRTaskForce@co.whatcom.wa.us.

Holly O’Neil reviewed the meeting agenda. She then provided a brief overview of the work that went into the Justice Project Needs Assessment and described the implementation planning process. The Needs and Recommendations in the Needs Assessment provide the foundational material upon which the implementation plan will be built.

The scope of work for the implementation planning process is to identify specific actions that will advance the recommendations over a 1-3 year timeframe. The implementation planning will involve an iterative process of gathering, reviewing, and refining implementation projects and action steps over the course of five weekly workshops.

Since last week’s systems workshop, progress has been made to compile notes from the workshop discussion and worksheet input, clarify information with subject matter experts, and conceptualize the structure of the Implementation Plan. Today we will aim to identify individuals or groups who can help with refining the implementation steps for the systems recommendations, and begin discussion of the services recommendations.

3. Follow-up from Last Workshop on Systems (00:11:06)

In the first workshop, discussion focused on identifying appropriate groups and subject matter experts to help refine implementation steps for the Needs Assessment systems recommendations. The Planning Team and facilitators will provide written material and support in meetings to help move the plan forward.

Decisions about who will provide support:

• A1: Competency restoration, inpatient and outpatient: Competency Restoration Workgroup

• A2: Timely case resolution: Pretrial Processes Workgroup

• A3: Pretrial release and monitoring options in lieu of bail: Pretrial Processes Workgroup

• A4: Address disproportionate incarceration of BIPOC individuals: Caleb Erickson, Chair INDEX Committee

• A5: Involvement of BIPOC communities, victims of crime, and people with lived experience with criminal legal system in decision-making about policies & practices: Not yet assigned.

• A6: Build system for collecting data: Caleb Erickson, Chair INDEX Committee

• A7: Build data dashboard: Not yet assigned.

4. Discuss actions and resources to improve Services (00:36:03)

Mardi Solomon defined what we mean by “services”: A continuum of behavioral and physical health care, housing, educational and vocational programs, and other social services from pre- through post- incarceration for those at-risk or currently involved with the criminal legal system.

The services section of the Needs Assessment has 5 needs and 11 corresponding recommendations which were the focus of this meeting. Worksheets completed by participants were compiled and analyzed for this discussion.

The 11 recommendations were grouped into three clusters for discussion, taking into account overlaps between recommendations. The remainder of the workshop involved interactive discussion of work currently in process, what is needed for successful implementation, questions that need to be answered, and next steps related to these three topics.

• B1: Increase MH & SUD Treatment Capacity (5 recommendations) (00:37:53)

o All5oftheserecommendationsrelatetoincreasingmentalhealthandsubstanceuse

disorder treatment capacity in the community to provide:

▪️ Community-based mental health and substance use disorder assessment

▪️ Jail-based assessment for community re-entry

▪️ Re-entry support to ensure continuity of services from jail to community

• B2 & B3: Ensure stable funding to expand effective programs to divert people from incarceration (3 recommendations) (01:14:50)

• B4 & B5: Additional qualified, racially/ethnically diverse jail staff (3 recommendations) (01:39:35)

5. Next Steps and Closing Comments (02:09.22)

• Eleven people from Whatcom County went to Nashville this week to learn about criminal legal services, systems, and facilities that are being successfully implemented there. They returned with good ideas that are relevant for our work.

• If any participants in this workshop, observers, or the public at large would like to submit implementation ideas, send an email any time to IPRTaskForce@co.whatcom.wa.us.

• Encouragement for all participants to continue filling in their worksheets!

• The next meeting is about community-based facilities, Thurs. March 23, 9:30-12:00.

Meeting adjourned 11:24 a.m.

***************************************

Placeholder for March 20, 2023 meeting summary. That summary has not been posted as of May 15, 2023. An email was sent to request the summary be posted on the IPRTF Meetings page and it will be included here as soon as it is available. In the meantime, here is a link to the meeting video:

https://youtu.be/pLNRkN63sls

Update: I received the email below from Jill Nixon, a Legislative Analyst for Whatcom County Government and is listed as the contact person for the IPRTF, regarding an inquiry I made about the March 20, 2023 meeting summary.

From: Jill Nixon <jnixon@co.whatcom.wa.us>

To: dbobena@yahoo.com <dbobena@yahoo.com>

Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2023, 08:06:41 AM PDT

Subject: RE: Question regardng [sic] IPRTF meeting minutes for March 20, 2023

Good morning, Dena.

We had a staffing change/shortage in our office that was just recently filled. The person who did the summaries took another position elsewhere. It will take us a little time to catch up on getting the meeting summaries done.

Jill

Legislative Coordinator II
Whatcom County Council Office
311 Grand Ave., Suite 105
Bellingham, WA 98225

360-778-5010

Notice: All email and attachments sent to and from Whatcom County are public records and may be subject to disclosure pursuant to the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56)

********************************************

Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force / Law and Justice Council SPECIAL MEETING

Justice Project Implementation Planning

Workshop #3: Facilities for Community-based Services

Meeting Summary for Thursday, March 23, 2023

[ https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/73572/Summary-Community-Facilities-Meeting-03-23-2023 ]

_____________________________________________________________________________________

To view video recording, click on the link in the section heading.

1. Call to Order

Barry Buchanan, Councilmember and Chair of the Justice Project Planning Team, called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m. and welcomed all participants. The meeting was held via remote-only Zoom Webinar and in person at the Whatcom County Council Conference Room, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, Washington.

Members Present: Jack Hovenier (Co-chair), Stephen Gockley (Co-chair), Barry Buchanan, Arlene Feld, David Freeman, Heather Flaherty, Darlene Peterson, Donnell Tanksley, Bruce Van Glubt, Scott Korthuis, Eric Petersen, Maialisa Vanyo, Mike Hilley, Deborah Hawley, Satpal Sidhu, Dave Reynolds, Daniel Hammill,

Additional Participants: Tyler Schroeder, Kayla Schott-Bressler, Brian Heinrich, Michael Lilliquist, Wendy Jones, Malora Christensen, Jed Holmes, Doug Chadwick, Caleb Erickson, Louise Trapp, Peter Frazier, Rusty Noble, Rob Ney, David Crass, Chris Kobdish, Erika Lautenbach

Members Absent: Bill Elfo, Greg Winter, Jenn Lockwood, Jason McGill, Eric Richey, Seth Fleetwood, Perry Mowery, Raylene King,

Council Staff: Cathy Halka and Jill Nixon, Whatcom County.

Facilitators: Holly O’Neil and Mardi Solomon, Crossroads Consulting

Stephen Gockley offered a Land Acknowledgement: Before we begin, we acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional and unceded territory of the Lummi, Nooksack, Samish and Semiahmoo People who have cared for and tended this land since time immemorial. Truth and acknowledgment are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and difference. We begin this effort to acknowledge what has been buried by honoring the truth. We pay respect to their elders past and present. Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us together here today. And please join us in uncovering such truths at any and all public events.

2. Overview of Implementation Planning Process (00:01:45)

Public comments are welcome at any time by emailing: IPRTaskForce@co.whatcom.wa.us.

Holly O’Neil reviewed the meeting agenda. She then reiterated the scope of work of this implementation planning process which is to identify actions to advance the recommendations from the Justice Project Needs Assessment over the next 1-3 years.

The focus of this meeting is on facilities for community-based services. The next workshop will focus on facilities for the jail and accessory services. The April 6 workshop will focus on funding. Note that the date for that workshop is likely to change.

3. Follow up from last two meetings on Systems and Services (00:05:45)

Since last week’s services workshop, progress has been made to compile notes from the two workshop discussions and worksheet input, clarify information with subject matter experts, and refine and synthesize implementation plan ideas. The Implementation Plan will aiming for 8-10 feasible projects that address multiple needs and recommendations with a focus on what can be accomplished within the next three years. We will poll for agreement among workshop participants. The Implementation Plan will be revisited in another few years to plan next steps for longer-term projects.

4. Discussion of Actions to Implement Facilities Recommendations C2-C4 (00:13:51)

In the Needs Assessment, there are three needs and six corresponding recommendations related to

facilities for community-based services to prevent and reduce incarceration.

Overview C2: Recommendations 1-4 (00:15:47)

The C2 Need is: Facilities to enable increased community mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment capacity (in-patient & outpatient) to prevent and reduce incarceration and re-incarceration.

The first three recommendations directly address this need, and the fourth specifies that the location of these facilities needs to work for all stakeholders in the criminal legal system (e.g., employees, incarcerated individuals, service providers, families). The fourth recommendation will not be discussed separately today, but the importance of accessibility should be integrated throughout the Implementation Plan.

C2, Rec 1 (00:16:57): Explore development of 24/7 Behavioral Health Urgent Care capacity to provide short-term (23 hours or less) MH and SUD services.

Tyler Shroeder described a proposal the County submitted to the state legislature for capital funding for a 24/7 Behavioral Health Urgent Care facility. Participants’ comments confirmed general agreement about the value of such a facility to expedite access to MH & SUD services, increase continuity and coordination of care, and prevent incarceration.

C2, Rec 2 (00:55:59): Research feasibility and desirability of building a secure detox facility in the region for people with SUD who are considered a risk to public safety.

Participants discussed the need for inpatient SUD treatment, and possible actions to research the feasibility and desirability of developing this type of regional, secure SUD facility. The prevalence of co-occurring MH and SUD disorders and approaching treatment in an integrated way was discussed. A facility of this type is not a project for Whatcom County to take on independently and must be tackled on a regional level with the involvement of the North Sound BH-ASO.

Other significant points raised were that the jail is providing some of these services and they are needed in the jail. The fact that there is not Medicaid reimbursement for in-custody services limits what can be done. A next step is to research the possibility of a state waiver to relieve some of the costs the County is taking on for providing these services.

C2, Rec 3 (01:23:46): Establish a location in close proximity to the jail from which re-entry specialists, behavioral health staff, system navigators, and peer support providers can offer re- entry support.

Tyler Schroeder presented information about a proposal submitted by the County for state funding for a Behavioral Health Resource Center to be located downtown to serve as a hub for connection to services, including re-entry services. The Resource Center would serve a broader population than

those involved in the criminal legal system (e.g., people who are homeless, service providers), but would include services for the re-entry/post-incarceration populations, providing a location for “warm handoffs” between jail and community providers.

C3 and C4 Needs & Recommendations (01:39:09):

Both C3 and C4 relate to supportive housing for people with behavioral health issues so the

conversation for these two needs and recommendations was combined.

The C3 Need is: Additional permanent supportive housing with on-site clinical support and intensive case management for people with severe and persistent mental illness who are involved, or at risk of involvement, with the criminal legal system.

C3, Rec: Advocate for state, federal, and private funding to expand and improve permanent supportive housing with on-site clinical support and intensive case management for people with serious mental illness who are involved, or at risk of involvement with the criminal legal system.

The C4 Need is: Safe, supportive housing for people engaged in diversion and therapeutic court programs (e.g., GRACE and LEAD, Drug Court, Mental Health Court).

C4, Rec: Prevent unstable housing from being a barrier to successful engagement with diversion and therapeutic court programs.

The need for these types of supportive housing was confirmed and recognized as critical to incarceration prevention and for re-entry/post-incarceration success. Creating a continuum of housing options and removing barriers for people to access housing that meets their current needs was an identified goal. Housing services for those involved, or at risk of involvement, with the criminal legal system should be part of ongoing efforts to address housing issues in our county. Many groups currently working on housing were listed and the importance of not duplicating their efforts was emphasized.

Workforce and financial challenges continue to be an issue for service-intensive housing models. Significant state funding will be needed, and some advocacy will be necessary to make sure state funding provides for the models that will work for Whatcom County.

5. Next Steps and Closing Comments (02:17:14)

The next meeting is about the jail and accessory facilities, Thurs. March 30, 9:30-12:00. Meeting adjourned 11:54 a.m.

*********************************

Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force / Law and Justice Council SPECIAL MEETING

Justice Project Implementation Planning

Workshop #4: Jail and Accessory Facilities

Meeting Summary for Thursday, March 3o, 2023

[ https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/73680/Summary-Special-IPRTF-Workshop-4-March-30-2023 ]

_____________________________________________________________________________________

To view video recording, click on the link in the section heading.

1. Call to Order

Barry Buchanan, Councilmember and Chair of the Justice Project Planning Team, called the meeting to order at 9:31 a.m. and welcomed all participants. The meeting was held via remote-only Zoom Webinar and in person at the Whatcom County Council Conference Room, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, Washington.

Members Present: Jack Hovenier (Co-chair), Stephen Gockley (Co-chair), Barry Buchanan, Arlene Feld, Heather Flaherty, Darlene Peterson, Scott Korthuis, Maialisa Vanyo, Mike Hilley, Deborah Hawley, Satpal Sidhu, Dave Reynolds, Daniel Hammill, Eric Richey, Rebecca Mertzig, Perry Mowery

Additional Participants: Tyler Schroeder, Kayla Schott-Bressler, Brian Heinrich, Michael Lilliquist, Wendy Jones, Malora Christensen, Doug Chadwick, Caleb Erickson, Peter Frazier, Rusty Noble, Rob Ney, Chris Kobdish, Erika Lautenbach, Jake Wiebusch, Mike Parker, Lacey McCarley, Dean Wight

Members Absent: Eric Petersen, Bill Elfo, Greg Winter, Jenn Lockwood, Jason McGill, Seth Fleetwood, Raylene King, Donnell Tanksley, Bruce Van Glubt, David Freeman

Council Staff: Cathy Halka, Jill Nixon, and Dana Brown-Davis, Whatcom County.

Facilitators: Holly O’Neil and Mardi Solomon, Crossroads Consulting People who are not IPRTF members introduced themselves.

2. Overview of Implementation Planning Process (00:03:25)

Holly O’Neil reviewed the meeting agenda and process. She noted that public comments are welcome at

any time by emailing: IPRTaskForce@co.whatcom.wa.us.

The focus of this meeting is on the jail and accessory services. The next workshop will focus on funding. Note that the date for the funding workshop is now Wednesday, April 12, 1:00-3:30.

The scope of work of this implementation planning process is to identify 8-10 projects to advance the recommendations from the Justice Project Needs Assessment over the next 1-3 years. The process for developing the Implementation Plan involves compiling content from worksheets and workshops, gathering additional information, and refining and synthesizing implementation plan ideas. The next step will be to poll participants from all workshops about possible implementation projects. The poll will be sent on Mon. April 3 and responses are due on Thurs. April 6 at noon.

Gathering public input will begin later in April with focus groups followed by a Town Hall. The plan will be revised and refined based on this input and then final priorities for action will be presented to County Council.

3. Worksheet Input on a New Jail (Need C1, Recommendations 1-3) (00:11:29)

Mardi Solomon reminded the group of the criteria for a jail that were established by the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) and included in Need C1 in the Needs Assessment report. Recommendation 1 is to include as many of these criteria as possible in a new jail. Mardi reviewed worksheet responses related to Rec 1.

Recommendation 2 is to “Calculate comparative cost estimates for possible facility locations before a specific site is chosen.” The county is in the process of hiring a construction cost estimator to provide comparative cost estimates referring to the input from these workshops. Their work is expected to take about three weeks, so their estimates can be included in the implementation plan that goes to Council. No further discussion of Rec 2 will be needed today. The focus will be on jail capacity and location.

Recommendation 3 is “Select a location for the jail with due consideration of the comparative importance assigned to proximity to various resources and services.” Mardi reviewed the SAC’s list of resource and services that should be near the jail, as well as input from the worksheets regarding Rec 3. Bringing services to the jail rather than transporting incarcerated individuals to services was a theme. A major topic for discussion is to figure out what services and facilities are needed and where each should be located.

4. Some Lessons from the Nashville Trip (00:21:01)

A group of 11 people from Whatcom County toured correctional facilities in Nashville. Barry Buchanan described some features of the facilities and lessons the group took from their trip. The trauma- informed design of the Behavioral Care Center in Nashville was particularly appealing. The group would like to see these design elements (e.g., natural light, color, texture, natural elements) used throughout all parts of a new jail so that the environment is one that promotes mental health.

A feature of the Nashville Downtown Detention Center that was noted was an open booking area where people could be spend some time using the free phones and trying to post bail. This reduced the number of people spending time in the jail.

In Nashville, most jail housing is located ~20 minutes from the courthouse so people are transported to a special holding area in the courthouse for pretrial meetings and court appearances. Determining what services and resources we need to have in the civic center and what functions could be housed elsewhere is an important question.

Nashville also has a behavioral health (BH) campus located ~15 minutes from downtown that is run by a mental health co-op. It includes a 23-hour Crisis Relief Center, a Crisis Stabilization Center, and a pharmacy. Having one agency (the mental health co-op) run all the BH services is very different from our system with a lot of small agencies each providing specific types of services.

Nashville has three campuses each about 15-20 minute’s drive from the others. We have a similar

situation with the three county locations – Civic Center, Irongate, and LaBounty. We could explore which facilities should be at which location instead of thinking we need to choose one.

5. Jail Design “Wish List” (00:39:05)

Caleb Erickson presented a list of components that are important to have in a correctional facility that he compiled with input from corrections officers, medical and mental health professionals, and others. The list incorporates best practices from across the country. He emphasized that a very important criterion, regardless of the size of the jail, is to use trauma-informed design standards in all corrections environments so the space does not negatively affect people’s mental health. Having medical and BH services integrated into every space, areas for programming and services, and individual cells so people have a place to call their own, were other key points. Caleb also reiterated the concept of bringing services to the people who need them rather than the other way around.

6. Estimating Jail Capacity (00:46:34)

Tyler Schroeder presented information from the National Institute of Corrections’ Jail Capacity Planning Guide about factors that go into estimating jail capacity over a 10-20 year horizon. Given the difficulty of making reliable projections, it is best to plan in five-year increments and talk about size ranges rather than an exact number of beds. Forecasting jail capacity also involves applying adjustment factors (peaking and classification).

Tyler referred to Skagit County’s analysis for their Community Justice Center and work the JFA Institute has done to make projections for Spokane. He also presented a report done in 2013 by DLR Group to calculate jail capacity estimates for Whatcom County. The recommendation for Phase 1 was 507 beds plus 14 medical beds. Current perspective is that more medical beds would be desirable.

The current jail and Work Center have combined 359 beds. Tyler explained that the safe operating capacity of a jail is ~80% of the number of beds because of the peaking and classification adjustments that must be made.

A rich discussion followed Tyler’s presentation and included the importance of considering the drivers of incarceration, policies, and efforts to reduce incarceration, in addition to population projections, when forecasting jail capacity needs. Another factor is the changing characteristics of the jail population, which in our county has meant there are more people in the jail with mental health and substance use issues, and they are being held for more violent crimes. Booking restrictions and the length of time it takes people to get through the court process are other factors that were impacted by COVID and continue to significantly impact the jail population. A jail design that is flexible enough to respond to changes in the population is best.

7. Facility size and location (01:43:11)

Square footage of a jail facility will be based on the number of cells and types of services desired. With the preferred single cell design, the overall footprint of the facility would be bigger than a design with shared cells, and a horizontal facility will have a much larger footprint than a vertical one. Constructing the building in “pods” that are two-tiered blocks of cells with services integrated into each one, would enable easy expansion if needed by adding another pod. The types of services that we want to locate in the facility should be determined first and the square footage measurements will follow from that.

Some of the points about location that were raised were:

• A facility located in the Civic Center would need to have 2-4 stories underground and about 7 stories above ground.

• At Irongate the county purchased ~3.5 acres next to the Anne Deacon Center for Hope. That

would be a good place to co-locate a 23-hour Crisis Relief Center. The Work Center also could be

repurposed. There are not additional properties available for purchase nearby at this time.

• LaBounty is the one county-owned property with space for a horizontal facility.

• Adequate space in the jail for programs and services is a high priority.

• A location for re-entry services to ensure a warm handoff for people who are released is key.

This could be at a Resource Center.

8. Next Steps and Closing Comments (02:24:20)

Barry’s closing comments summarized main points from this meeting and previous workshops: We have identified a trifecta of needs: A facility that will meet our corrections housing needs for the future; more community services for BH issues; and a resource center that emphasizes homeless outreach, re-entry, etc.

Holly reminded everyone that they will receive a poll and should complete it by noon, Thurs. April 6. The next workshop is April 12, 1:00-3:30. Additional comments can be sent to: IPRTaskForce@co.whatcom.wa.us.

Meeting adjourned 11:57 a.m.

*************************************

Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force / Law and Justice Council SPECIAL MEETING

Justice Project Implementation Planning

Workshop #5: Funding

Meeting Summary for Wednesday, April 12, 2023

[ https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/73999/Workshop-5—Funding-Summary04_12_-2023 ]

_____________________________________________________________________________________

To view video recording, click on the link in the section heading.

1. Call to Order

Barry Buchanan, Councilmember and Chair of the Justice Project Planning Team, called the meeting to order at 1:00 pm. and welcomed all participants. The meeting was held via remote-only Zoom Webinar and in person at the Whatcom County Council Conference Room, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, Washington.

Members Present: Jack Hovenier (Co-chair), Barry Buchanan, Arlene Feld, Heather Flaherty, Darlene Peterson, Scott Korthuis, Maialisa Vanyo, Mike Hilley, Satpal Sidhu, Daniel Hammill, Perry Mowery, Eric Petersen, Bill Elfo, Raylene King, Donnell Tanksley,

Additional Participants: Tyler Schroeder, Kayla Schott-Bressler, Brian Heinrich, Michael Lilliquist, Wendy Jones, Malora Christensen, Doug Chadwick, Caleb Erickson, Chris Kobdish, Erika Lautenbach, Jake Wiebusch, Mike Parker, Dean Wight, Kristin Hanna, Mike Smith, David Crass

Members Absent: Stephen Gockley, Deborah Hawley, Greg Winter, Jenn Lockwood, Jason McGill, Seth Fleetwood, Bruce Van Glubt, David Freeman, Dave Reynolds, Eric Richey, Rebecca Mertzig

Council Staff: Cathy Halka, Jill Nixon, and Dana Brown-Davis, Whatcom County

Facilitators: Holly O’Neil and Mardi Solomon, Crossroads Consulting People who are not IPRTF members introduced themselves.

2. Overview of Implementation Planning Process (00:02:48) – Holly O’Neil

Holly O’Neil reviewed the meeting agenda and process. She noted that public comments are welcome at any

time by emailing: IPRTaskForce@co.whatcom.wa.us.

This meeting will include a review of results of the first poll about Potential Implementation Projects, and a

discussion of potential funding sources.

additional information, and refining and synthesizing implementation plan ideas. Gathering public input will begin later in April with focus groups followed by a Town Hall.

The plan will be revised and refined based on this input and then final priorities for action will be presented to County Council. Once approved, the County Executive’s Office will oversee the implementation process and monitor progress. The process will repeat again in three years to create an updated plan.

3. Findings from 1st Poll (00:10:05) – Mardi Solomon

Mardi Solomon emphasized that the list of Potential Implementation Projects that the poll questions asked

about is only a first draft and will change with additional input.

The poll was completed by 28 respondents who included IPRTF members, subject matter experts who participated in these implementation planning workshops, and Stakeholder Advisory Committee members.

Importance & Feasibility of each Potential Implementation Project (00:12:29)

Mardi presented summary findings about how important and how feasible respondents thought each of the 15 potential implementation projects was. The potential projects were presented in five clusters. Following each cluster of results, participants discussed:

• Where do we have the potential to make the biggest impact?

• Where could we get some leverage?

1. Behavioral Health Services (00:14:38)

2. Advocate with Regional & State Partners for Increased BH Services (00:26:23)

3. Address Housing Needs (00:33:08)

4. Build New Jail & Accessory Services (00:41:50)

5. Measure Progress Toward Desired Outcomes (00:49:16)

Discussion: Do you see any big gaps in what we should be thinking about in this implementation plan? (00:51:27)

Additional Poll Findings (01:06:48)

Mardi then presented some additional poll results which demonstrated that 85% of respondents felt a new tax initiative should include services to keep people out of jail as well as building a new jail, and responses to questions regarding jail size, and preferred locations for the jail and other facilities.

Update on Irongate (Division St.) as a potential location for a new jail (01:09:59)

Discussion: A scenario of which facilities could go on four county-owned properties (01:14:38)

Tyler Schroeder announced that the county is contracting with a construction cost estimator to determine costs of building a horizontal or vertical jail at various locations, and the costs of other potential facilities on the list as well. The more money that can be saved on capital facility costs, the more money there is for the behavioral health services we are discussing.

The implementation plan will include cost estimates, as well as who will be responsible for each task.

4. Funding Sources (01:48:24) – Tyler Schroeder

Tyler presented potential sources of funding for building a jail (including potential income from an income tax) behavioral health services, and supportive housing services. All of these sources are included in a compilation of funding resources created by county staff for the Needs Assessment Report (see Appendix N: Potential Funding Sources).

Tyler also spoke about opportunities to work with regional and state partners to advocate for and leverage state and federal funding.

Discussion: Other potential sources of funding, and projects that should definitely be part of a tax initiative? (2:02:19)

Further information & discussion about potential income from a tax initiative (02:12:36)

5. Next Steps and Closing Comments (02:24:09)

Holly reminded everyone that additional comments can be sent to: IPRTaskForce@co.whatcom.wa.us.

She also reviewed next steps which include frequent check-ins with the IPRTF/Law & Justice Council and County Council, focus groups April 24-28, and a Town Hall meeting May 24.

Barry thanked everyone for their hard work and adjourned the meeting. Meeting adjourned 3:30 pm.

noisy waters northwest

information and opinion swells from the northwest U.S. corner

Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force 2023 searchable meeting summaries / Noisy Waters Northwest

Share this:

Like this:

Related