(Image: No New Youth Jail)
Activist opposing the underway construction of a new youth jail facility at 12th and Alder have again targeted the site with a protest Friday morning
No Youth Jail Activists say clergy and faith groups have joined their continuing “People’s Moratorium.” The group is broadcasting the action here on Facebook. Video shows activists inside the work site. In March, the group began its series of protests calling on King County Executive Dow Constantine to put a halt to construction of the facility.
Construction of the project has continued despite a legal decision that thrust a major component of the center’s $200 million-plus budget into question. King County petitioned the state Supreme Court to review the decision but the court has not yet said it will consider the case. The new facility is under construction on the same campus as the existing juvenile justice center along 12th Ave about a block south of Seattle University. The county has been looking to replace the courthouse and administrative buildings for years and is building a new jail along with them. The recession of 2008 held up plans for the expensive project, but the county passed a roughly $210 million levy in 2012. CHS reported here on the county’s efforts to show its changing approach to juvenile crime and justice. In 2016, the proportion of black youth in jail decline from 58.5% to 49.9%, county officials say. According to U.S. Census figures, about 7% of the county population is black and another 5% identified a multiracial. King County plans for the new facility to be open by 2020.
The group is calling on Constantine to meet publicly on the project and “halt building activities until the site can be repurposed away from incarcerating youth and towards meeting basic human needs for King County’s youth and families.” The group posted statements from people involved in today’s protest here.
Seattle Police arrived at the site early Friday and were arranging for its “apparatus removal team” specializing in protest response and equipment used to cut through pipes and bindings to be present at the site. UPDATE 9:23 AM: Police were preparing to notify protesters to disperse and leave the property. UPDATE 9:37 AM: Per East Precinct radio updates, officers are marking arrests of protesters at the site. UPDATE 9:51 AM: Radio report indicates six have been taken into custody. UPDATE 10:05 AM: Police report that the three protesters inside the site have voluntarily removed their locking devices and are being taken into custody.
UPDATE 3:45 PM: Here is SPD’s report on the arrests:
Earlier this morning at 5:30 AM, Seattle Police East Precinct officers responded to a report of a demonstration at 14th Avenue East and East Remington Court, the construction site for the new King County Youth Detention Center.
Three adult women had breached a security fence and entered the construction site. The women were chained together and refused to leave when asked. This is the first time that protestors entered the construction site with intent to disrupt planned construction activity.
Seattle Police monitored the demonstration of approximately 35 protestors for nearly four hours and attempted to negotiate a conclusion to the illegal aspects of the demonstration, including trespassing and failure to comply with a dispersal order (SPD Policy 14.090 – Crowd Management –TSK–3 Issuing the Order to Disperse).
The protestors made it clear that they intended to be arrested rather than leave the construction site interior and away from the construction entrance.
In addition to giving a final appeal to one leader, police proceeded to give two orders to disperse at approximately 9:30 AM. Three adult men and three adult women continued to block the entrance were arrested without incident for pedestrian interference. The three adult women on the interior of the construction were peacefully arrested as well.
All nine individuals were transported to the West Precinct and later booked into King County Jail.
Meanwhile, District 3 rep Kshama Sawant has called on City Attorney Pete Holmes to “release the clergy and other #nonewyouthjail activists”
Join me in urging @CityAttyPeteH to release the clergy and other #NoNewYouthJail activists arrested this morning peacefully protesting at the jail construction site. I've opposed new youth jail & stand with the protesters. I hope more people will be encouraged by their courage. pic.twitter.com/c81lSTG466
— Kshama Sawant (@cmkshama) April 20, 2018
#NoNewYouthJail pic.twitter.com/f8WLb34h66
— No New Youth Jail Coalition (@nnyjcoalition) April 20, 2018
UPDATE: According to activist Nikkita Oliver, each of the protesters arrested were released by Friday night.
Update: Everyone was released. Thank you to all the community who courageously showed up and stood for justice. #NoNewYouthJail
— Nikkita Oliver (@NikkitaOliver) April 21, 2018
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These people are anything but a voice for the people. They are an small, irrational, noisy group with a ridiculous position. I hope the politicians listen to the actual people and continue with the new Youth Services project
Given their passion against youth detention and counseling centers is so strong, while not protesting, I hope these folks mentor at risk youth so places like this are not needed.
Well, there are only a small handful of these activists, and a whole lot of kids who need mentoring. Which is why we need a functioning government to provide the solution. Letting dangerous or disturbed kids to roam the streets with little disincentive to hurt or steal from others is not a solution.
We need juvie. You don’t want juvenile offenders (think Tuba Man murderers) housed at the adult jail with corrections officers who are trained to house adults. We need the the youth facilities building also for the many counseling and other programs conducted there. DV family classes, etc. We do NOT need a new building. The current building is sufficient. The clerical worker area has mold and needs to be remodeled. That’s it. No more. Additionally, the parking is ridiculous. The land could be sold to SU or other parities vs. our tax dollars paying for employee parking. I’m a public servant and I have to pay for my own parking. Juvie staff should also. The juvie site, including parking, is huge and could be condensed and excess sold off.
If Sawant doesn’t want to lock up Juvenal offenders can we can send them to stay at her house? I’m sure she is willing to take them in.
She seems to hate everything, always against something (unless its a new tax ..then she all in.) and yelling Not a good look, very unappealing .
You don’t win an argument by yelling the loudest, you win with the best ideas She seems to have none.
Some eggs are rotten- they need to kept in their own box.