Lynnwood updates operations at Community Justice Center as Medicaid waiver, treatment and interlocal agreements ramp up

Mayor Frizzell and the Lynnwood City Council received an update Wednesday on the Lynnwood Community Justice Center (LCJC), where officials said the facility has prioritized treatment, reentry and coordination with community partners since opening last year.

The update, led by Chief of Police Cole Langdon and jail staff, outlined declines in recidivism among people who engaged in the center’s programs, staffing levels at the facility, the start of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and the city’s work to implement a federal Medicaid 1115 waiver that officials predict will offset medical costs.

Chief Cole Langdon, Lynnwood’s police chief, framed the presentation as a progress report: “I promise not to go that long. In fact, I'm gonna talk very little. I'm gonna turn it over to the professionals here at the table,” he said, and turned the briefing over to jail staff and clinicians. Outgoing jail commander Joe Dickinson and new jail manager Greg Curtis described operational changes and the reentry-focused model the LCJC is using.

Why it matters: Council members and staff said the LCJC’s reentry and treatment work aims to reduce repeat involvement with the justice system and to shift some medical costs away from the city by billing Medicaid under an 1115 waiver. Council members pressed staff on capacity, staffing, outcomes and the waiver’s financial impact.

Key facts and figures presented

- Facility and population: The LCJC is an 88‑bed misdemeanor facility. Staff reported a high population of about 48 at one point; the facility’s census during the presentation…