Activists may have lost in court but they haven’t given up on winning hearts in their battle against the new youth jail at 12th and Alder.
Saying she and fellow activists were there to celebrate Valentine’s Day and “what it means to love community and love young people,” activist and attorney Nikkita Oliver said a group gathered outside the under construction King County Youth and Family Justice Center would be delivering No New Youth Jail Valentines to officials and judges.
“We are here to uplift ourselves and love ourselves and say we’re not going to allow buildings like this to be built and invested in,” Oliver said.
In December, the Washington State Supreme Court delivered a key decision for county officials when it ruled that King County could continue collecting taxes to fund the construction, unwinding technicalities in the ballot language for the 2012 $210 million levy.
Activists have continued to fight against the project. Last summer, groups began a call for “a period of redesign” saying the plans for the facility are outdated and out of step with changing approaches to juvenile justice and incarceration. In 2016, the proportion of black youth in jail declined 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.
Seattle got together and made so many beautiful valentines for our County's judges and @kcexec to remind them it is time #StopCagingKids. Come to a press conference and rally TODAY at NOON at the youth jail at 12th and Alder. #NoNewYouthJail https://t.co/qRvJwVFqno pic.twitter.com/ZCNjUNruNL
— dean spade (@deanspade) February 14, 2019
Thursday, that call for repurposing the planned uses for the facility continued.
“I appear as a woman of faith to challenge city officials here in Seattle to reimagine a new use for this youth jail,” Reverend Bianca Davis-Lovelace of the Washington State Poor People’s Campaign said. “Instead of investing in the downfall and destruction of young people,” officials need “to invest in their transformation and liberation” and “lead with hope and not with punishment,” Davis-Lovelace said.
King County plans for the new facility to open by 2020.
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Nikkita Oliver makes an empty promise when she says “we will not allow buildings like this to be built and invested in.” When she made that statement, she was standing in front of a building she and others tried to stop, and they were unsuccessful in doing so, thank goodness.
On top of that the opponents of the building offer no alternative. What are we to do with 16 year old murder suspects? Rape suspects? Weapon possession? This jail does not house kids who rip off candy bars or get caught with a rack of beer.
Lock ’em up , Lock ’em up!