SEATTLE
JAIL SITES PUBLIC FORUM ~ Dec.
3 , 2008
Downtown
Option
Seattle
added a downtown Seattle jail site proposal to those it is considering
in Highland Park , Interbay, downtown Bellevue, and several county locations.
Residents of communities near proposed jail sites in Highland Park and Interbay told the city that they would continue to organize against those proposals and endorse the downtown option.
Videotape of and transcribed written comments from the forum are available on the NEC Municipal Jail Planning website (NEC = Northeast cities of King County)
Left: Dorsol Plants, HPAC Chair, and Dina Johnson, Publicity Chair
PRESENTATIONS
Attendees
at about 10 tables collaborated in writing their comments to the city,
choosing one or more of their group to speak.
Above, Dan Mullins and Shawn Mazza.
Dan's remarks appeared on the evening TV news.
Above,
Billy and Carolyn Stauffer
with Nicole Mazza (foreground). Billy asked
how many from downtown neighborhoods were present versus Interbay (one
table)
and Highland Park (all the rest). We heard from one former downtown
resident.
Left, Mark Sherman of Pacific Plumbing on Highland Park Way.
He said he visited the Kent Regional Justice Center, which is always held up as the gold standard for community-based jails, on a weekday afternoon and it was "like a ghost town."
So he was "not impressed" by the community development around the area.
Above, Residents of the Queen Anne neighborhood near
the proposed Interbay jail site agree the downtown option would have the
least negative effect on residential communities.
Highland Park resident Kay was the sole representative of a downtown neighborhood,
as she used to live in Pioneer Square.
Above, HPAC Chair Dorsol Plants
Representative from Real Change newspaper,
which focuses on homelessness issues
Above, Former HPAC Chair Blair Johnson
Above, HP schoolteacher Laura Drake
Streaming
video and transcribed written comments from the forum
are available on the NEC
Municipal Jail Planning website