The district council is committed to maintaining operations at the youth prison until someone finds a better solution

By Erica C. Barnett

The King County Council committed to keeping the Patricia Clark Children and Family Justice Center open in a symbolic vote yesterday, signaling a retreat from previous promises to close the youth prison.

The resolution, originally proposed by Republican Councilmember Reagan Dunn, states: “The King County Council intends to maintain the operation of the juvenile detention facility at the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center until viable alternatives are available that are consistent with the priorities of the Care and Closure community and safely replace the need for a juvenile detention facility.”

In the summer of 2020, King County Executive Dow Constantine committed to closing the youth prison. He said the county would “direct public funds away from systems based on oppression and into those that maintain public health and safety and put people on the path to success.” Historically, the county has disproportionately incarcerated black youth; in 2021, Constantine said closing the youth prison would
King County’s commitment to becoming an anti-racist and equal opportunity government.”

As part of the Care and Closure initiative, an advisory committee recommended six actions the county could take to facilitate the closure of the youth detention center. However, not all of these actions met with unanimous support. One such proposal was to create an “intake and recovery center” for young people to go to immediately after their arrest, as an alternative to jail.

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At yesterday's meeting, the Democratic council members emphasized that they would continue to work towards creating better juvenile correctional systems.

Council member Girmay Zahilay, who included language about viable alternatives to Dunn's original motion to support ongoing operation of the youth detention center, called it a “yes, and” approach through which “we can have a building with a secure perimeter whose internal infrastructure is far more conducive to rehabilitation, mental health, education, job training and more. … That's what our amendment calls for – a commitment to change while recognizing the ongoing need for a serious building that is far more focused on rehabilitation.”

A majority of those who spoke about prison supported closing it or replacing it with a less punitive facility. Prison supporters included several speakers who said incarcerating young people is the only way to protect children, the elderly, and other law-abiding people.

“Unfortunately, some kids have to go to juvenile detention because nothing else works,” said a Maple Valley resident who reported her daughter was attacked by “minorities” because she is white. “Please keep the facility open,” she said, claiming it was the only way for her family to feel safe from “attacks” by non-white people in their community.

There are currently 59 young people between the ages of 12 and 18 incarcerated in the youth prison, and another 48 are under electronic house arrest. 61 percent of them are black.

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