The Washington Legislature has passed a bill (E2SHB 1783) which will ensure that poor people are not unfairly jailed or tied for years to the criminal justice system because they are unable to pay court-imposed debts known as Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs).
The State of Washington has paid over $12 million dollars in fines for failing to comply with a federal court’s order regarding timely provision of mental health services to those waiting for jail and for such services.
The State of WA fined $12 million failing to comply with a federal court’s order regarding timely provision of mental health services to those waiting for jail.
The ACLU-WA has issued a position paper examining the many harms of jailing of people in Washington before trial when they are unable to pay money bail, and recommending principles for reform.
The ACLU-WA has issued a position paper examining the many harms of jailing of people in Washington before trial when they are unable to pay money bail, and recommending principles for reform.
A ruling by the Washington Supreme Court has undercut the effectiveness of a law intended to maintain the bonds between incarcerated parents and their children. The Legislature needs to act to make sure the law can still make a difference in the lives of children.
In King County, the cost of keeping an inmate in jail is $192 a day, which translates into $70,000 annually. This means, the cost of holding a single individual in jail for a year greatly exceeds the $60,000 median household income of the citizens in King County who are paying to maintain the jail.
No one should be locked up because they don’t have the money to buy their freedom. But this is the plight of countless men and women currently imprisoned in our immigration detention system.
A federal judge has rebuked the State of Washington and ordered it to provide competency services speedily to people with mental illness in jails. The ruling came in a suit on behalf of incarcerated pre-trial detainees who have sat for weeks and months awaiting court-ordered services.