By Seatle Medium news staff
The King County Council has decided to keep its juvenile detention facility open indefinitely, citing a sharp increase in violent crimes committed by youth. The decision, made on Tuesday, represents a significant shift from the county’s previous plan to close the facility and replace it with unsecured community care homes.
The motion, sponsored by Councilmember Reagan Dunn, was approved after months of intense debate.
“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,” said Dunn, who thanked fellow council members Girmay Zahilay, Claudia Balducci, and Rod Dembowski for supporting the decision, which aims to maintain public safety.
King County had originally planned to close the juvenile detention facility at the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center by 2025. Instead, the Care and Closure initiative aimed to establish a network of unsecured community care homes for youth offenders. However, this approach has faced criticism, especially as juvenile violent crime rates have surged. In 2023, there were 177 violent felonies committed by juveniles in King County, including murder, gun violence, drive-by shootings, domestic violence, rape, and residential burglary. This marks a 57% increase from 2022 and a 146% rise since 2021.
The council’s decision to keep the facility open follows an April report from the Law and Justice Committee, which highlighted deep divisions within the Care and Closure Advisory Committee over security measures for community care homes. The committee has yet to reach a consensus on whether these homes should have secured access, such as locks on doors.
Opened in 2020 at a cost of $242 million, the Patricia H. Clark juvenile detention facility was intended to offer a more rehabilitative environment for young offenders. The center includes modern classrooms, a library, a gym, a medical clinic, and community services, all under the same roof as juvenile courtrooms. While the facility was initially set to close in 2025, the closure date has now been pushed to at least 2028. A recent report from the King County Auditor’s Office noted that the uncertainty surrounding the facility’s future has led to staffing shortages and program cuts, affecting the morale of employees. “Staff explained that the uncertainty around closure dampens morale and results in staff exploring employment opportunities with more long-term security,” the report stated.
As of August 27, the facility housed 58 juveniles, including 15 who are being tried as adults. The charges against these youth include six cases of murder, one vehicular homicide, one manslaughter, three for rape of a child, one for rape, one for child molestation, 11 for assault, 24 for robbery, three for unlawful possession of a firearm, one for a drive-by shooting, and seven for other felony offenses.
Councilmember Claudia Balducci also expressed support for the decision, while emphasizing the need for broader reforms.
“I join my colleagues in making a clear statement of our Council’s intent to maintain operations of the youth detention facility for those in need of detention while also restating our commitments to improve the legal system and conditions for young people in detention,” Balducci said.
Balducci also highlighted the importance of continuing to support community-based programs aimed at preventing youth crime and reducing recidivism, and stressed that maintaining a secure detention facility is just one aspect of a comprehensive approach to public safety.
“Public safety is one of government’s most sacred duties, and I am committed to true public safety, with a variety of approaches,” she said. “We owe it to our communities and our young people to provide that full spectrum of public safety services, and I believe we can successfully do that.”