What’s the ideal capacity for Whatcom County’s new jail? It’s complicated
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- New study projects Whatcom County jail capacity needs to reach 720 beds by 2050.
- County plans 2028 Ferndale jail opening with phased budget increases and design input.
- Officials stress need to include prevention, equity and care services in planning.
A new analysis presented to the Whatcom County Council provided a preliminary estimate of the capacity needed for the new Whatcom County Jail. According to the analysis, the jail is projected to require 480 beds by 2030 based on current trends in the county’s population, jail admissions, average daily population in the jail and average length of stay.
The need is expected to increase to 624 beds — not including intake and holding or detox and padded beds — in 2040 and 720 beds in 2050.
Capacity at the existing Whatcom County jail is 362 people, including 150 at the work center. In reality, the county said the jail should have beds for more than 400.
County Executive Satpal Sidhu, Council Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee Chair Barry Buchanan and Whatcom County Sheriff Donnell “Tank” Tanksley outlined the new estimated jail capacity in a memo to the County Council.
In it, they acknowledge that it’s unlikely that the county will be able to afford to build a jail based on the projected needs; however, they said it was “prudent” to understand the needs so that they could plan for the new facility to be able to physically accommodate the possible future capacity.
The projected numbers take into account the “80% rule,” which aims to keep average jail use at 80% capacity so that there is enough room to be able to “separate prey from predator” in the jail population.
An architect contracted by the county conducted the analysis.
Whatcom County spokesperson Jed Holmes noted that the new proposed numbers weren’t too different from the capacity that Tanksley brought to the County Council, County Executive’s Office and Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force in January. In his executive summary, Tanksley advocated for a jail with a base capacity of 540 beds with a 20% buffer, bringing the total proposal to 650 beds.
The additional capacity “ensures flexibility in managing population fluctuations, detainee classification requirements, and unforeseen circumstances,” according to Tanksley. The estimates were based on the findings of the Whatcom County Justice Project Needs Assessment and the Justice Project Implementation Plan.
A key component to keeping the necessary number of beds down is reductions in admissions to the jail and length of stay, according to the county. The average daily population of the jail was 295 people last year, and the average length of stay was nearly 26 days.
Without any intervention or new initiatives, one projection shows a need of up to 961 beds in the jail by 2050.
The county council voted in 2023 to build the new jail on LaBounty Drive in Ferndale. It was one of three locations under consideration, and was determined by council members to be the most cost-effective. Holmes previously told The Herald that if all goes to plan, the new jail will be in operation by the summer of 2028.
What will the jail look like?
Whatcom County Deputy Executive Kayla Schott-Bresler said the jail capacity is not a “substantial driver” of the project timeline.. Instead, the design and permitting of the facility have the biggest impact on when the jail will open.
The county has narrowed down the pool of potential design builders to three applicants through a “competitive process,” according to Schott-Bresler. She said they hope to choose a designer and contract with them in August. The designer will create a few potential configurations for the jail and present them to the county executive and sheriff to consider.
At the same time, the county will be working with the city of Ferndale and state regulatory agencies on the permitting process for the facility.
The county wants to design the jail to have special housing units, according to a presentation. This would accommodate people with special housing needs like those in protective custody, medical isolation or administrative detention.
As of now, the new jail is still projected to open in 2028.
How much will this cost?
The Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee on Tuesday discussed a proposed ordinance to amend the project budget for the jail. The ordinance — submitted to the county executive and council — would authorize $4 million in additional expenditure authority for pre-construction services. The money has already been amassed as part of the criminal justice sales tax passed in 2023, but is not currently accessible for the jail project.
Schott-Bresler said there are regular budget check-ins with the council at each phase of the project rather than simply asking for a “blank check.” According to a memo from Whatcom County Project and Operations Manager Rob Ney, the $4 million would carry the project through March 31, 2026. This would be added to the current budget authority of $1.785 million.
It is not a request for full design or construction funds, and future budget authority will be requested in “phased increments.”
Behavioral care center
Schott-Bresler said discussions are still underway on the location of the dedicated behavioral care center that the county plans to implement for the jail. Depending on the size and designs, the center may be next to the main facility or at a separate location. Schott-Bresler said the county plans to solicit community input on the location.
Miriam Karamoko, executive director of the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission, raised concerns about the considerations and factors that went into the jail capacity analysis. They said most of the focus has been on incarceration rather than prevention, intervention, racial disparities and behavioral health care — all of which they said should be taken into account when estimating the needed jail capacity.
They urged Whatcom County residents to get involved in the jail planning process. They said many don’t know about the work being done on the jail and the various committees involved in it.
“You should have a say in this,” Karamoko said. “You should ask really tough questions so that we, your system, can do right by your wishes.”
This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM.