Our View: Time to finally build a new jail

Whatcom County needs a new jail and the only way to get one before the old one falls down is to vote yes on Prop. 2015-1. Raising the sales tax by 0.2 percent (20 cents on a $100 purchase) will fund construction and operation of a new jail.

Opponents have a lot of complicated objections to just about every element of the tax. Even most of the proposition’s opponents agree we need a new jail.

None of the objections are enough to hold up finally, finally building a new county jail.

This isn’t a prison. It’s not part of any conspiracy for corporations to profit from incarceration.

It’s where the people accused of molesting children; beating, stabbing and shooting their family members; stealing from their neighbors; selling drugs; and driving drunk go while a court decides if they are guilty. It’s where those convicted of minor offenses serve their time, close to their families.

Yes, it’s also a place that deals with the ravages of drug abuse and alcoholism, mental illness and poverty. And yes, the county should offer alternatives for those who deserve them. It already does, for some.

Are you willing to bet your family’s safety on social programs working so well, so quickly, that we won’t need a jail? We’re not.

Don’t think rejecting the tax will save you any money. One of Bellingham’s objections to this tax is that it stops the city from raising its own tax for other law enforcement uses.

Why does the jail need to be replaced?

▪  It’s overcrowded. The work center took some of the pressure off overcrowding, but that hasn’t lasted long.

▪  The county has spent millions of dollars on maintenance, but it’s not enough to make it safe. Bored inmates haven’t exactly been good house guests. Aging plumbing and electrical systems are something all buildings face. Jails have additional needs for keeping the public, staff and inmates safe.

▪  Overcrowding isn’t just about more bodies than beds. This isn’t a hotel. Certain inmates can’t be with others in the same cell, or even hallway.

▪  It’s not safe for inmates. It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. And it has few facilities for the addiction and mental illness interventions the community wants for inmates.

▪  We need to think about the future. We’re in trouble now because the current jail is inadequate. The county must build a facility that can grow, if needed, in the future and that is as economical to staff as possible.

Is the plan perfect? No. Is any plan, ever? No.

Is public safety expensive? Yes. Is it that important? Yes.

The county has needed a new jail for at least 10 years. Hundreds of public meetings and thousands of documents later, this is the plan.

Will the details of the plan evolve with circumstances? Likely.

But the outcome must be the same. We must build a new jail.

Vote yes on Prop. 2015-1 and let our community start creating a safe place for justice to prevail.

This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Our View: Time to finally build a new jail."