Washington wants to eliminate some of its 11 reentry centers, and Bellingham is on the block
The Bellingham Reentry Center, which helps people convicted of crimes transition back into society, has been a fixture in the community for nearly 50 years.
First opening its doors in 1976, the work release center is the only one of its type north of Seattle. The minimum security facility — which has been at its current location since 1981 — can house up to 42 men and eight women.
However, with former Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed 2025-2027 biennial operating budget, the reentry center may be closing its doors for good.
The state’s Office of Financial Management said it operates 11 reentry centers, most of which are less than half full due to recent sentencing reforms. It said it identified Bellingham Reentry Center as an “under-used” facility, the closure of which would “right size capacity across the state.”
A spokesperson for Gov. Bob Ferguson said he has “not taken a position” on the proposal.
Yet for Bellingham resident Long Nguyen and the 335 others who signed his Change.org petition in support of the facility, the reentry center’s closure would leave Bellingham and the surrounding areas without a critical resource.
“People that don’t have anything need help,” Nguyen said. “They need maybe a little extra hand from the community just to get on their feet, to start a new life or a new journey.”
Nguyen has worked at the reentry center for over three years. He spoke with The Herald in his capacity as a private citizen.
Nguyen has been through the criminal justice system himself; and while he did not go through the Bellingham Reentry Center specifically, he did live in a halfway house for about nine months while transitioning back into the community.
“I’ve been there,” Nguyen said. “I know how important it is to have this transition.”
The Bellingham facility is one of three under consideration for closure. The others are in Yakima and Seattle.
The reentry center helps residents acquire jobs in the community and learn necessary skills, which can be especially important for those who have been incarcerated for a long time. It also provides housing, which is often otherwise difficult to find.
One petition signer said they had been to the Bellingham Reentry Center twice, and it was “absolutely crucial” to their transition back to the community.
Nguyen said he’s reached out to government officials about keeping the center open but leaders have taken no official actions.
The proposal to close the center
Bellingham Reentry Center Manager Vicky Neufeld said she was shocked when she learned about the proposal to close the center — especially after legislators she spoke with didn’t even know about the center’s existence.
“If they’re voting on this stuff, they ought to know about us,” Neufeld said.
Neufeld, like Nguyen, spoke to The Herald as a private citizen and not as a representative of the reentry center. She has worked there for 10 years and worked in corrections in general for 40.
Neufeld explained that if the reentry center closes, people from the counties it serves may be rerouted to Seattle. But if they are, they lose the opportunity to get a job in their community that they can continue to work at once they’re released from the center. It’s also more difficult for them to spend time with their support systems.
Still, “It’s not over ‘til it’s over,” Neufeld said.
“These are people’s lives,” Neufeld said. “Even if you only save one, you save all their generations to follow.”
Editor’s note (Feb. 10): The Bellingham Reentry Center is one of several the state is considering closing. A previous version of this article was unclear about the state’s plans.
This story was originally published February 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM.