Olympia is closing its city jail and laying off workers

OLYMPIA — The city of Olympia’s jail is aging. Now about 60 years old, the city has determined the building has outlived its structural lifespan.

Olympia Police Chief Rich Allen told the City Council on Tuesday, Feb. 7, he plans to permanently close the jail, which is used to house misdemeanor offenders, and lay off the 10 correctional officers that work there. He said he wants to make it clear it isn’t about the employees or the programs being run in the city, but about the physical safety of the workers and those housed in the jail.

The city will instead be exclusively using its contract with the Nisqually Corrections Center to house its misdemeanor offenders; the Thurston County jail will continue to handle more the city’s serious offenders.

Allen said the tribe’s newer facility, which opened in 2014, offers more modern amenities and safety measures for those in custody.

Allen told the council the Public Works department commissioned an assessment of the Olympia jail a couple of years ago. They found the building had HVAC, plumbing and structural issues, all of which could not be repaired. And, in contrast to newer facilities, the building lacks an outdoor space, natural light and distress call buttons.

The building needs to come down, he said, but replacing it carries a hefty $90 million pricetag.

The HVAC issues became an issue during the summer heatwave in 2021. Allen said the city had to relocate those at the Olympia jail to Lewis County to avoid any heat-related illnesses.

“When you think about the city’s mission of moving those that are in the criminal justice system towards wellness, our current facility just doesn’t foster and doesn’t relay that sentiment,” he said.

He said the Nisqually jail houses nearly 300 people, with larger holding areas, more single-occupancy cells and natural sunlight. Plus its residents get an hour of outdoor recreation time a day, and there’s a garden they can use. Each room is also outfitted with a call button in case of a medical or crisis situation. Allen said at the Olympia jail, people in custody who need an officer’s attention have to bang on their door.

Allen said the city’s current contract with the Nisqually jail is for those who require medical assistance and observation, as well as for overflow and backup for the Olympia jail. The cities of Lacey, Tumwater, Shelton, Lakewood and Tacoma also have contracts with the facility. And Allen said its mission statement is in line with the city’s values.

“The facility is rooted in Restorative Justice focused on respect, repairing harm, addressing responsibility, relationships and reintegration,” the mission statement reads. “Our goal is to ensure those in our facility return to their communities whole, supported and prepared to be positive community members.”

Those housed at the Nisqually jail have access to iPads and tablets. They can use them to pursue their GED, get into anger management and other therapeutic programs, and check out skills classes that will help them get jobs in the future. There’s also a medical center on site, with a 24/7 nursing staff and a doctor that comes in twice a week.

Allen said the tribe has agreed to share liability for the inmates the city sends there, and it will follow the standards and laws of the Washington courts. He said to his knowledge, the city is the first with a contract with a tribe to have this agreement.

Allen said he understands the impacts this decision has on staff. But he’s been talking with Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders, who said there are plenty of openings on the county level and he’d be happy to take anyone interested. Allen said the city’s HR department is streamlining the hiring process for those who want to work for the county.

Pierce County is offering a $25,000 signing bonus for new corrections officers, Allen said.

The department also is offering severance packages to the 10 correctional officers being laid off.

Though the transition isn’t motivated by costs and saving money, closing down the facility will benefit the city. Allen said the conservative estimate for now is that they will save $1.5 million a year, which will help ease his department’s financial burden of using body cameras, the Crisis Response Unit and other city initiatives.

Allen said he also wants to use the savings to explore expanding the city’s alternative response programs. And with all misdemeanor cases now moving to Nisqually, the city will need a few transport officers. He said those positions could help with recruiting, as they’re unarmed roles and can be filled by someone 18 and older.

City Council members expressed support for Allen’s decision to close the jail and his desire to explore alternative responses. Several of them spoke about their tour of the city jail last year, which didn’t impress any of them.

“We have an opportunity to take this contemporary approach to how we choose to operate in this space as a city,” council member Dontae Payne said.

There’s no strict timeline on when the city will make the transition, but Allen said he’s hoping it will be done by May 1.