Fewer inmates in King County jails means less revenue for jail budget

The reduction by the state of Washington in its use of local jail beds will mean fewer inmates in County jails and contribute to a projected $13 million drop next year in revenues that support King County jail operations, requiring 40 or more positions anticipated to be reduced in the proposed jail budget for 2013.

 “The state’s latest policy change – the new ‘swift and certain’ program to address parole violators – certainly seems to be promising public policy, but the loss of nearly $10 million in expected state revenues in one year is simply too much for us to make up through savings or efficiencies,” said Claudia Balducci, director of the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD).

Revenue from contracts with other jurisdictions helps support fixed costs at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle and the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. With the projected loss of $9.4 million next year due to lower bookings by the state Department of Corrections, and reduced bookings by other jurisdictions, the County jails face a combined shortfall of $13 million in 2013. 

Balducci said she will manage staffing to minimize the need for any actual layoffs by not refilling vacancies.

The state Department of Corrections (DOC) contracts with King County to house an average of 6,844 felons annually since 2008 who have been released from prison, and who have violated the conditions of their release. These so-called “DOC violators” are sent back to jail to await an administrative hearing. Since 2008, the County booked an average of 6,844 state inmates a year, and held about 330 a day.

Under the new “swift and certain” law enacted by the Legislature this year, the punishment happens more quickly, resulting in much shorter jail stays and an overall reduced usage of the local jail system. 

“Swift and certain” is the latest in a series of moves by the state that have curtailed revenues to counties:

• From 2008 to 2010, the state reduced the types and numbers of offenders it supervised after their release from prison.
• In 2011, the Legislature capped the rates that DOC may pay to local jails for providing beds for state inmates. The contracted daily rate paid to King County was cut from $92 to $85 for most inmates, and the County may no longer bill the state for any increases due to the cost of housing state inmates.

Helping to stabilize King County’s jail budget is the long-term regional contract the Executive negotiated and signed last year with the City of Seattle providing for more predictable bed space for the City and more predictable revenues for the County – and averting the need for Seattle and the northeast cities to build their own municipal jail.

The King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention currently has the equivalent of 939.5 full-time positions, of which 540.5 are corrections officers. Its budget is $130.2 million, nearly three-fourths of which is in the Adult Divisions.