After extended debate, Council commits to keeping the Patricia H. Clark juvenile jail open

August 27, 2024

After months of deliberation, the King County Council on Tuesday approved a motion sponsored by Councilmember Reagan Dunn in support of keeping King County’s juvenile detention facility open permanently for detention services. The motion states “It is the intent of the King County Council to maintain operations of the secure juvenile detention facility at the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center.”

“With today’s vote, the King County Council made a clear statement that we are committed to keeping our juvenile detention facility open and operating — a major victory for all who are concerned about protecting our communities,” Dunn said. “I thank my fellow councilmembers, including Councilmembers Zahilay, Balducci, and Dembowski, for taking this commonsense position on behalf of our shared public safety and acknowledging that there will always be a need for secure detention for our most violent and dangerous offenders. Now that the Council has brought clarity to our path forward, we can focus on improving operations at our juvenile justice facility and further investing in alternatives to incarceration.”

Until today, King County’s Care and Closure initiative has sought to close the county’s only juvenile detention facility and instead task private organizations with operating a series of “community care homes” sited across King County that might not be secured. At the same time, juvenile violent felonies — which include murder, assault, rape, shootings, and burglaries — are skyrocketing. In 2023, there were 177 violent felonies committed by juveniles, including murder, gun violence, drive-by shootings, domestic violent, rape, and residential burglary. Juvenile violent felony filings are up 57% from 2022, and up a shocking 146% from 2021. In addition, youth-on-youth gun violence is at a record high despite other homicides and violent crimes trending downward.

A report heard in the Council’s Law and Justice Committee in April revealed an internal debate among the Care and Closure Advisory Committee over whether detention should be secure at all. Advisory Committee members remain sharply divided on whether or not to have locks on the doors to the community care homes that would serve as alternatives to the current detention center and have been unable to agree on a recommendation regarding security.

The Patricia H. Clark juvenile detention facility opened in 2020 and cost $242 million. It was intended to be a more rehabilitative approach to juvenile justice, containing modern classrooms, a library, a gym and a medical clinic all within the same building as community services and juvenile courtrooms. Though the original goal was to close the juvenile detention facility by 2025, the anticipated closure date has been revised to at least 2028. The King County Auditor’s Office released a report stating that the years-long discussion has led to staffing shortages and cuts to programs at the CCFJC: “Staff explained that the uncertainty around closure dampens morale and results in staff exploring employment opportunities with more long-term security.”

As of August 27, there were 58 juveniles being held in secure detention, including 15 being tried as adults. Offenses for youth in secure detention include 6 cases of murder, 1 for vehicular homicide, 1 for manslaughter, 3 for rape of a child, 1 for rape, 1 for child molestation, 11 for assault, 24 for robbery, 3 for unlawful possession of a firearm, 1 for drive by shooting, and 7 for other felony offenses.

“This is a huge victory for all who care about community safety that violent juveniles with a continuing pattern of violent behavior are able to be detained if necessary at the juvenile jail,” Dunn said.