Drafter
Clerk 07/01/2026
Title
AN ORDINANCE related to notification requirements for booking restrictions at King County adult detention facilities; and adding a new chapter to K.C.C. Title 2.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The King County department of adult and juvenile detention operates two adult detention facilities that process approximately 18,000 combined bookings annually.
2. King County is required by state law to house all people arrested in the county for a felony and presented for booking into jail.
3. Under RCW 39.34.180, counties, cities, and towns are responsible for incarceration of misdemeanor offenses committed by adults in their respective jurisdictions and referred from their respective law enforcement agencies.
4. Municipal city and other jurisdictions within King County contract with the county for adult incarceration of misdemeanor offense jail services including booking and incarceration.
5. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the King County executive implemented jail booking restrictions at King County's adult detention facilities in order to reduce the number of people in custody and limit the spread of COVID-19 within secure detention.
6. As the health risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic decreased, jail booking restrictions remained in place to maintain safety during pandemic-related staffing shortages.
7. In 2024, King County lifted jail booking restrictions as adult detention staffing had reached a level sufficient for full capacity operations.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Sections 2 and 3 of this ordinance should constitute a new chapter in K.C.C. Title 2.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 2. The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
A. "Booking" means processing persons for confinement in the jail;
B. "Contract cities" means cities within King County that are signatory to an interlocal agreement between King County and the contract cities for jail services.
C. "...
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