Councilmember Lambert applauds new approach to jail planning

May 14, 2010

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In response to yesterday’s recommendation by the King County Executive to end the siting process for a new jail, Councilmember Kathy Lambert of Redmond said she looks forward to a new regional approach to planning for future jail capacity needs.

“I am pleased that regional cooperation on this issue will save both capital and operating dollars and allow us the time to scrutinize many options for meeting future capacity needs,” said Councilmember Lambert. “The coalition of north county cities already has done a lot of groundwork through the environmental impact review process that studied five sites, which is required by state law for an essential public facility and will help provide direction for our needs after 2020. The communities did an excellent job of expressing the pros and cons of each site. I appreciate the work of neighbors and citizens who got involved in the process and drew attention to the need to weigh many factors and look at all options. This is true democracy at work.

“The good news is that the alternatives to incarceration we have implemented in recent years are working to reduce the jail population and are saving taxpayer money,” Councilmember Lambert added. “Potential sites for jails in north King County are now off the table, and we can focus our attention on programs that get people’s lives back on track and contributing to society.”