Clallam County seeks sole‑source waiver to buy custody‑grade interview booths for jail counseling and assessments

County staff requested a waiver of competitive procurement requirements to purchase custody‑grade privacy booths for use in the Clallam County jail to support reentry counseling, substance‑use disorder assessments and other private interviews.

Staff said the jail lacks an adequate private interview space for Peninsula Behavioral Health and other providers who deliver counseling and assessments onsite. The booths would allow private conversations that also maintain observation for safety; staff described mounting the booths against a solid wall in the indoor recreation area so inmates inside would remain visible to correctional staff by camera while preserving conversational privacy and protecting health‑information confidentiality.

Staff told commissioners they searched for vendors that could meet security and safety requirements (custody‑grade construction, UL approval and ability to supply both one‑ and two‑person booths). According to staff, only one provider met the full specification for both booth sizes, and facilities staff preferred not to assume assembly responsibilities, so the bidder’s delivered‑and‑assembled approach was a factor in the sole‑source request. Staff said two vendors could provide single‑person booths but only the chosen provider met the county’s combined needs.

Commissioners asked about placement and camera observation; staff said the booths will be placed where the occupant is in camera view so corrections staff can observe for safety while interviews remain private. Staff characterized the booths as an improvement in capacity, not a new program, to allow counseling and assessments to proceed on site.

Staff asked the board to move the waiver request forward for formal consideration.