The City of Seattle asked Yakima County and state corrections officials why newly-released prisoners were dropped off under I-5 in downtown Seattle, near homeless camps, without supervision.
Yakima County corrections officials acknowledged some releases were not properly handled after housing inmates from outside communities because of space constraints. It also highlights a complicated aspect of Seattle's homelessness crisis — how people are reintroduced into society.
Contracts dictate where inmates who have served their time are dropped off. But Yakima County Department of Corrections Director Ed Campbell said they've received complaints about previous drop-off attempts at designated locations, the Yakima Herald reports.
From now on, prisoners will be dropped off at a state office in Seattle. The Department of Corrections reentry facility in SoDo provides bus tickets and other services. The Justice Center Facility is located at 1550 4th Ave. S.
A video sent to Mayor Jenny Durkan’s office by an unidentified person captured a moment near Fifth Avenue and James Street on April 8. In the video, a corrections officer is seen removing the handcuffs from three people who are then seen walking away. The area is frequented by many homeless people who camp under the I-5 structure.
The incident prompted Durkan to ask the Washington State Department of Corrections why the people were released without any supervision or guidance. She asked for a review of the process.
Seattle City Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez also questioned the method.
"My initial reaction was one probably the general public shared: the question of why?" Gonzalez said Monday. She spoke openly about the video, which first circulated on KING 5 last week, during Monday's regular council briefing.
"There might be an issue related with the system as a whole," acknowledged Gonzalez, who said she agreed with Durkan's concerns about whether this was a blip, or an example of a greater problem. "This clearly was a deviation," Gonzalez said.
DOC Director Steve Sinclair wrote Durkan on April 12 saying the video also raised concerns among corrections officials. Sinclair’s letter notes that Yakima County transports violators who have completed their sentences to King County. In the past, he said, they would be dropped at the King County Jail.
In a statement sent to KING 5 last Friday, Campbell said officials have had "difficulty" with one of the drop off points in Seattle that would get individuals to a bus station. Complaints led them to change the drop off location, according to the statement from Campbell.
State corrections spokesperson Jeremy Barclay told the Herald he's asked for more information on the issues surrounding drop-off locations.
