Whatcom County Council committee considering repealing and replacing Whatcom County Code 1.28, Standards for Correctional Facilities / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to access the proposed ordinance to repeal and replace WCC 1.28 that includes a copy of Exhibit A

January 10, 2019 Dena Jensen

This week, now that the Whatcom County Council agenda for next week has been released, I have more questions about jail matters that I am uneducated on!

On the agenda for the Whatcom County Council Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee is a “Proposed Ordinance for Action January 15, 2019.” This proposal was introduced, (according to a reference on the copy of the proposed ordinance) by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office on December 4, 2018. I don’t know to what body or how that ordinance was introduced. There’s also a memo written by Sheriff Elfo explaining reasons for “repealing and replacing Whatcom County Code 1.28, Standards for Correctional Facilities.” 

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Can we be accepting of the current pace of long-overdue jail renovations? / Facebook Post, Noisy Waters Northwest

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Screen Shot 2018-11-23 at 4.45.23 PM

Click the link to access the draft minutes for the 11/20/18 Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting

November 23, 2018  Dena Jensen

Here’s a heads-up that at the November 20, 2018 Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting there was a brief update on the state of the Whatcom County Jail renovations during the semi-annual report from Whatcom County Facilities Management Project & Operations Manager Rob Ney. Here is the link to the audio; Mr. Ney starts speaking about the jail at 26:30: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9q3a1p526pfpwvg/Finance%20Nov%2020%202018.mp3?dl=0

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There’s no home in leadership for David McEachran or Doug Ericksen / Noisy Waters Northwest

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ericksen and mceachran

Left, rendition of a photo of Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney David McEachran from the Whatcom County Website. Right, rendition of a photo of Senator Doug Ericksen from a recent campaign mailer.

October 18, 2018  Dena Jensen

In regards to homeless issues, it is lucky that we will be replacing County Prosecuting Attorney David McEachran this election season because he seems to be spreading a perspective about statistics regarding crimes involving “transients” in our community that is biased towards assuming the criminal intent of people who are traveling through Whatcom County.  Continue reading →

Recap of the County Executive’s Report at the 10/9/18 Finance Committee Meeting / Facebook Post, Noisy Waters Northwest

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jail improvement project memo

Click the graphic to access Agenda Bill 2018-271 that contains this memo from Rob Ney to the Whatcom County Council

October 14, 2018  Dena Jensen

Here’s a little recap of the County Executive’s Report at the 10/9/18 Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting. It’s good to know about this because it gives us clues to questions and possible approaches the County Administration and Council Members may be thinking about regarding the Whatcom County Jail.  Continue reading →

ACLU of Washington lawsuit: Whatcom County Jail violating ADA by refusing medication to people with opioid use disorder / News Release, ACLU of Washington

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aclu whatcom county courthouse

June 7, 2018  News Release, ACLU of Washington

The ACLU of Washington has filed a class-action civil rights lawsuit against Whatcom County and the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office for denying people with opioid use disorder (OUD) in the County Jail medications necessary to treat their addiction.  The lawsuit challenges the Whatcom County Jail’s policy of refusing to provide people access to “Medication-Assisted Treatment” (MAT), including buprenorphine (Suboxone and Subutex) and methadone, even though it provides other clinically appropriate medications to inmates.  This policy is harmful, unwise, and illegal. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) forbids discrimination against people with OUD, who are just as entitled to medication as those suffering from any other ailment requiring medical treatment.

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Help us stop failing the jail / Noisy Waters Northwest

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many existing system deficiencies strauss.jpg

January 24, 2018  Dena Jensen

On Tuesday, January 30, 2018, now that new Council Members are officially sworn in, the Whatcom County Council’s Finance and Administrative Services Committee (freshly composed of Council Members Rud Browne, Tyler Byrd, and Satpal Sidhu) and Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee (which now is served on by Council Members Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, and Satpal Sidhu) will be discussing some issues related to urgently needed renovations of the Whatcom County Jail in downtown Bellingham.  The Council will then revisit, and potentially vote on, results of the earlier committee discussions at their evening meeting at 7 p.m. that night. Continue reading →

You did NOT “Stand Down” – Rejection of the Jail Sales Tax / Letter to the Editor, Irene Morgan

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justice innovation to go with Irene Morgan LTE

November 12, 2017  Irene Morgan, Founder, Restorative Community Coalition

Acknowledgement

A hardy THANK YOU to everyone who stood tall in opposition to the now defunct jail tax – Proposition 2017- 6.  You did NOT “Stand Down”, it was NOT a “Done Deal”, the “Ship had NOT Sailed”, the “Train is STILL in the Station” and it was NOT “a waste of our time”!  The voters said NO, with an even greater margin – again! Continue reading →

Stay on top of actions that will help reduce further injustice at the Whatcom County Jail / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Scope of services being proposed incremental jail renovations

November 7, 2017  Dena Jensen

To try to stay on top of actions that will help reduce further injustice being perpetrated on incarcerated individuals at our downtown Bellingham jail I sent a letter today to Whatcom County Council and Deputy Executive Schroeder today about the consent agenda item on the Council’s Finance and Adminstrative Services Committee agenda tomorrow (11/8) about renovations on the downtown Bellingham jail. You can send one too! : council@co.whatcom.wa.us.

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Legal Action Moves Forward Against Top Whatcom County Officials / Press Release, Whatcom Civil Rights Project

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press release legal action moves forward rosalinda

November 3, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2017

Legal Action Moves Forward Against Top Whatcom County Officials

Bellingham, WA- Community leader, Rosalinda Guillen, filed a lawsuit for over $230,000,000 on October 10, 2017 in Whatcom County Superior Court against Defendants, Sherriff Bill Elfo, County Prosecutor David McEachran, and County Executive Jack Louws, based on their unlawful actions in the 2015 election year. The lawsuit alleges that Louws, Elfo, and McEachran violated Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 42.17A by using county resources for their reelections and publishing a biased and deceptive mailer to registered voters. Continue reading →