Jail forum under way: Here’s the agenda

| Neighborhoods | West Seattle jail sites | West Seattle news

We’re at the Machinists’ Union Lodge in South Park for the first of two city-organized public forums on the two proposed West Seattle sites in the running for a possible city misdemeanor jail. The Highland Park Action Committee has a big presence here, of course – that’s HPAC’s Dina Johnson above, in the lodge hall with one of the signs group members have brought (cameraphone photo, sorry it’s not clearer). We’re NOT currently planning to liveblog the meeting – but if you are interested in occasional updates, follow us on Twitter, where we probably will post a few updates (twitter.com, and sign up to follow westseattleblog) if the wireless signal holds – a little spotty so far. The actual meeting doesn’t start till 6:30 – right now folks are milling about chatting; some citywide media crews are here. The agenda will include a “brief background presentation” at 6:40, small-group sessions to gather public comments and report back to the full group; at 8:40, it’s “city responses to issues raised,” closing comments at 8:55, meeting scheduled to end at 9 pm. (If you missed this one, the second city-organized public forum is July 26 at South Seattle Community College, 9 am, and HPAC will meet again 7 pm July 21.) 7:39 PM UPDATE: Highland Park Elementary teacher Laura Drake brought down the house with a speech full of fury and heartfelt emotion – some people are actually crying – we have it on video and will post it as soon as we get home when this is over; we can guarantee you’ll see part of it on the 11 pm news (though tv self-limits to about 20 seconds – we’ll show you the whole 2 to 3 minutes).

Pete June 26, 2008 (8:48 pm)

Was there any discussion of a regional solution. That is where this conversation needs to go. It is ludricous for three different municipalities to build jails and then have to staff and maintain them. OR better yet ….does anyone really think we can solve this problem by building more jails. It is the old time worn issue of you build them and they will get filled. It is time that we started looking at other solutions than putting folks behind bars…we need to look at mental health services, on demand drug treatment, making it socially unacceptable to be arrested and not a badge of honor amongst friends that you committed whatever crime and now you should be looked up to….

It is time for some new ideas and new ways of thinking to solve this problem. I for one do not beleive that we can build our way out of it.

d June 27, 2008 (12:24 am)

WIth ya’ there 110% Pete.

Seriously. Across the board.

What are you doing at 7:30 am Monday morning, June 30? Reps from the cities’ groups will be “having a conversation” with the County Council Committee of the Whole. This not-so-out-of-the-box thinking was just added in the last day to the city’s woefully inadequate talking points for the forum, according to Mr. Carey.

So, it would be great if you were to attend and represent Delridge Development Area. What concerns me is the level of coordination of so many stakeholders. On the other hand, the alternative of three jails being built simultaneously and the zero economy of scale and linking into a belabored criminal justice system is WAY scarier.

WSB June 27, 2008 (12:36 am)

Adding more facts to the main story (including the various aspects of the “regional solution” discussion) now here in the wee hours … had to get the video out there first … and finish some other stuff. It’ll be all nice and tidy and meaty by dawn’s early light, promise.
https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=8576

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