Title
Jail Facility Briefing
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive a briefing regarding the City’s jail facility.
Report
Issue:
Whether to receive a briefing regarding the City’s jail facility.
Staff Contact:
Rich Allen, Chief, Olympia Police Department, 360.753.8147
Presenter(s):
Rich Allen, Chief, Olympia Police Department
Background and Analysis:
Chief Allen has made a recommendation to the City Manager to close the City jail and use the existing contract with the Nisqually Tribal Corrections Facility to house misdemeanant offenders.
Chief Allen will describe the current state of the Olympia Jail facility, the advantages of exclusively using the Nisqually jail, and the financial impact of this recommendation.
Climate Analysis:
The increase in population of the Nisqually jail is not expected to have an impact on its energy use/greenhouse emissions or other factors. However, closing our own city jail will certainly reduce those emissions and electrical usage.
The drive/commute to the Nisqually jail will be longer for the officers who must transport arrested individuals, which will increase our fuel consumption. However, the elimination of the need for large shipments of food, supplies and other items to our jail by large semi-trucks will offset our small increase in consumption and emission.
Equity Analysis:
Our current jail was built in the 1960’s and lacks many of the qualities a modern facility offers (natural sunlight, outdoor recreation, large open spaces). It is believed that the Nisqually jail offers the ability to house those individuals that are in our care with an experience that is more aligned with our City values than our current facility offers.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
The community has an expectation that those who find themselves in the criminal justice system, be treated in a manner that is consistent with our City values.
The community also expects that the city will make thoughtful financial decisions regarding risk management. When the city finds itself in a position that keeping an aging facility in operation that is clearly beyond its useful life, it is prudent to address those concerns.
Options:
1. Receive the report.
2. Do not receive the report.
3. Receive the report at another time.
Financial Impact:
There will certainly be financial savings with the closure of the City jail. At the time of this staffing report, those figures are still being calculated. Chief Allen will present estimates of the financial impact during the presentation.
Attachments:
None