Whatcom task force on incarceration explores needs for expanding diversion and recovery services / Noisy Waters Northwest

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January 19, 2024 Dena Jensen

I’m through the first hour of listening to the 1/16/24 Behavioral Health Subcommittee meeting of the Whatcom County Incarceration and Prevention Taskforce. In the earlier part of the meeting, the committee was discussing various programs and practices to impact the unusually high number of folks in our jails right now who are not being assessed and treated in a timely manner that allows them to be mentally competent to stand trial. In other words these are folks who likely need to be taking medications in order to accurately understand and withstand a court proceeding in which they are charged with offenses.

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People of under-represented communities and their advocates continue in struggle for services over jail / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the image containing pages from “No New Jail in Whatcom County” to access the complete September 2023 online zine.

October 28, 2023 Dena Jensen

It’s closing in on a year ago since Whatcom County’s Justice Project evaluated their needs assessment process according to a toolkit provided by the Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race and Equity.

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Sales tax for new Whatcom jail requires working against incarceration reduction recommendation / Noisy Waters Northwest

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October 11, 2023 Dena Jensen

This week there have been at least a couple of presentations of Washington State University’s independent review of progress on addressing the recommendations and strategies in the 2017 Vera Institute of Justice report. One was given to the Incarceration Prevention Task Force (IPRTF) at their special meeting held on Monday, October 09, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., and one to the Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole at their meeting on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at 2:15 p.m.

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Comparison: sales-tax constant for Whatcom Executive is we may have too many funds for behavioral health services / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Image of a chart used by Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu’s remarks at the June 12, 2023 Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force

October 22, 2023 Dena Jensen

🟥🟩Comparison of our County Executive’s remarks, one month apart, related to the amount of funding from the 2023 ballot measure sales tax that was to be made available for non-jail projects.🟥🟩

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Lack of places to which LEAD can lead: Task Force members / Letter to the Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force

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August 7, 2023 Dena Jensen

Sent: Monday, August 7, 2023, 04:11:24 PM PDT

Subject: Regarding 2E2SSB 5536 and the LEAD program

Dear Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force:


I am writing related to the portion on your July 17, 2023 meeting where there was a brief discussion of the changes in state legislation – specifically 2E2SSB 5536, on controlled substances, possession, and treatment.

It is noteworthy to me that I am hearing a continued focus on the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program when some government bodies are speaking of services to address dangers posed by public drug use and possession. This has been the case at Bellingham City Council meetings surrounding both their own legislation outlawing public use of controlled substances in Bellingham that was passed back in April, and their more recent adoption of the state legislation. 

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Indefensible injustice in Whatcom County: no end in sight to public defender shortage / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the image of a YouTube video screen to access a portion of the recording of the July 6, 2023 Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force Steering Committee meeting discussion of the shortage of public defenders

July 16, 2023 Dena Jensen

In a Bellingham Herald article back in mid-May this year, Denver Pratt had reported on the local shortage of defense lawyers during that timing when Whatcom County was waiting for a public defender to be named.

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Public hearing on jail-first sales tax coming up on 7/11/23 / Noisy Waters Northwest

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July 7, 2023 Dena Jensen

There are two public hearings scheduled for the Tuesday 7/11/23 Whatcom County Council meeting. The one for the sales tax for the jail and services comes first. (The second is about Nooksack River tubing regulations to better protect endangered-species-listed salmon). Here’s the link to the Council meeting agenda: https://whatcom.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1007093&GUID=EB6D8780-A7ED-41A1-B94C-DAFDD2B40057

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Where is the equation for replacing unused jail cells in new facility with services? / Letter to Whatcom County Council

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June 15, 2023 Dena Jensen

During a June 13, 2023 Whatcom County Council Special Committee of the Whole meeting, committee members participated in a work session focused on the June 9, 2023 draft Justice Project Implementation Plan and a ballot measure to be approved by voters in November. The ballot measure would be for a tax which is currently referred to in that latest amended draft implementation plan as a “proposed new sales tax” which is, among other things, “the only feasible funding mechanism to generate the revenue needed to pay for a capital project the size of the jail and behavioral health treatment center.”

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Task Force to reduce jailing recommends most proposed tax funds for a larger jail that’s anticipated to expand / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic showing IPRTF members to access the recording of the June 12, 2023 Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force meeting

June 12, 2023 Dena Jensen

The Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force (IPRTF)/Law and Justice Council approved a motion today to “endorse the Justice Project Implementation Plan as ultimately approved by the County Executive and County Council.” The vote was 17 yes with 4 opposed. (Link to the meeting recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywj7BNTQJqw&t=3927s )

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Working on ongoing communication between Justice Project partners and the community / Email to the Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force

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Click the graphic to access Whatcom County’s 5/31/23 draft of the Justice Project Implementation Plan

June 1, 2023 Dena Jensen

This week the Whatcom County Council put out a news flash announcement requesting that community members provide feedback to the Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force about the draft version of the Justice Project Implementation Plan. I sent an email in today that will be included in this blog post.

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