‘Alternatives to Incarceration’ forum to address Whatcom County jail project
As the deadline to make decisions about the new Whatcom County Jail nears, two local organizations are teaming up to host a free event to inform the public about the conversations taking place around the justice system.
Alternatives to Incarceration, organized by Salish Current and Riveters Collective, will bring together a panel of six people involved in the justice project to answer the big questions about how tax dollars will be spent between the new jail and Behavioral Care Center — particularly as decreased revenue upends existing plans.
Washington State Supreme Court Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis will provide a keynote speech prior to the panel, which will be moderated by Chuckanut Health Foundation Executive Director Heather Flaherty.
Mike Sato, executive editor of Salish Current, said the event is not a public meeting; rather, it’s an opportunity for people to learn. Panelists will be asked about their priorities in terms of behavioral health and what they’re seeing at the ground level.
“It’s not meant to say ‘you’re not doing your job,’” Sato said. “It’s just meant to say there are other questions that need to be asked, and we want to ask those questions.”
Sato said Salish Current was approached by Riveters Collective, a local progressive civic action group, about putting on an event. Salish Current has hosted panels and events aimed toward educating the community on various issues in the past in addition to their reporting, and Sato said they’re always looking to “take something in the news and try to take it to the community.”
Krystal Rodriguez, who chairs the Riveters Collective’s Justice System Committee, said many of the discussions around the new Whatcom County Jail aren’t happening in the public view, though the meetings are publicly accessible.
“We’ve been educating our members on what’s been going on, but we just weren’t feeling that the community as a whole was learning about these things,” Rodriguez said.
She said she’s particularly concerned about people knowing about potential decreases in resources dedicated to behavioral health, which was a major selling point in voters’ approval of a 2023 tax to help fund the jail.
We just want to bring attention to reminding everybody of all the things they voted for,” Rodriguez said. “I think we have a different perspective than the county does on whether there’s been progress in certain areas.”
The Alternatives to Incarceration event will run from 6 to 8 p.m. on April 7 at Squalicum Boathouse in Bellingham. Advanced registration online is required.