Despite $1.2 million contract, Snohomish rejects plan to shuttle Whatcom inmates south
Whatcom County was informed earlier this week that Snohomish County will not be able to accept inmates, meaning Whatcom County will have to continue exploring other options for its own overcrowded jail.
Citing concerns by the county executive and sheriff about Snohomish County’s assumption of liability for Whatcom County inmates and an inability to hire more corrections staff, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office Bureau Chief of Corrections Jamie Kane informed Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Corrections Wendy Jones of the decision in an email Tuesday, Aug. 30.
“When we started this conversation I was down about 17 vacant deputy positions,” Kane wrote in the email obtained by The Bellingham Herald. “As of today, I’m down 42 and we have no applicants in the (queue) for Corrections Deputy. I tried as hard as I could, but this is out of my control.”
Kane also said Snohomish County officials were “inundated with complaints from their constituents after reading our local newspaper’s article about this potential partnership.”
On Aug. 9, the Whatcom County Council approved a $1.2 million contract with Snohomish County that would have allowed Whatcom to use up to 45 beds to incarcerate people at the Snohomish County Jail in Everett. The move was part of an ordinance amending the county budget by more than $4 million for various items and services.
The $1.2 million was supposed to cover booking, housing and medical fees for Whatcom County inmates transferred to Snohomish County through the end of the year, though the contract was through the end of 2023.
“We find ourselves in a very difficult position and we need to take some of the steam off and move some of the inmates to another jail facility that can better accommodate them,” Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo said in an interview with The Bellingham Herald last month.
But shuttling them to Snohomish County is no longer an option.
Whatcom County worked off a contract proposal that was tendered by Snohomish County, Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo pointed out in an email to Whatcom County officials in response to the Snohomish County decision.
“We are working to identify other possible housing solutions but it is highly likely that any other option will increase inconveniences to all,” Elfo wrote in the email, which was obtained by The Herald. “The downtown jail continues to operate (at) unsustainable levels.”
As of Monday, Aug. 29, there were 201 inmates housed at the downtown Bellingham jail, according to a weekly count provided by Jones, which was up five from the previous week. Another 91 were being housed at the Work Center.
The jail was originally built to house 148 people, though remodeling increased that capacity to 212. The Work Center has 150 beds, though 70 are reserved for full-custody, lower-security inmates. The other 80 are used by those on the work crew and work release programs, according to Jones’ weekly count.
Additionally, Jones reported that as of Aug. 15, both facilities are housing people who have tested positive for COVID-19, which further restricts capacity.
“We need to follow our responsibility to operate the jail in a constitutional and safe manner and will do so,” Elfo’s email reads. “It is likely that current restrictions and requests of the courts will need to increase in both scope.”
Elfo already announced in June that the Whatcom County Jail would need to further tighten booking restrictions and would no longer be booking people suspected of misdemeanor offenses and most suspected of gross misdemeanors.
This story was originally published September 1, 2022 at 2:59 PM.
