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Dozens Attend Criminal Justice Town Hall In Spokane Valley

Doug Nadvornick/SPR

Spokane law and justice officials have begun a six-month process of evaluating the county’s criminal justice system as they decide whether the city and county should build a new jail.

Monday's forum at Spokane Valley City Hall was the first of two town hall facilitated this week by representatives from the Vera Institute of Justice.

Vera was hired by the county to do some fact-finding. How is the jail used? Does it still serve its purpose? Earlier in the day, Vera’s team visited the county jail and the Geiger Correctional Facility and talked to the people who work there.

When they convened Monday’s public forum, they led a large discussion with several dozen community members, then broke the participants into five smaller groups. They asked this question: If Spokane’s criminal justice system was working ideally, what would it look like?

Community members identified a variety of themes, some seemingly at odds with the others. The system needs to work so that people can feel safe, especially in public places. They need to feel if their property is stolen that someone will be there to investigate. Police officers need the assurance that they can enforce the current laws. At the same time, there was sentiment that the people locked up have rights too, including the right to receive treatment for their mental health and addiction issues.

One of the underlying reasons for this months-long process is to decide what kind of support there is for new facilities, including a jail. Vera’s representatives expect to come back to Spokane this summer and interview some of the occupants of the jail and then make a third visit in the fall.

A second town hall meeting will be held Tuesday at 5:30 pm at the Northeast Community Center.