Whatcom County legal and justice subcommittee outlines 2026 workplan, requests jail and pretrial data

The Whatcom County Legal and Justice Systems Committee on a October meeting reviewed a draft 2026 action plan prioritizing bail and pretrial analysis, diversion and reentry services, and planning for a new jail and behavioral health center, and directed staff to attempt to compile release and case data to inform those efforts.

Committee chair (name not specified) opened discussion by calling attention to items already completed and asking members for ideas on priorities for 2026, saying the group should continue "to unravel the diversion part" of the jail and behavioral health project and to review whether the public safety assessment and other pretrial tools produce racially disparate outcomes.

The committee's nut graf: members agreed the new jail and behavioral health center remain the central, long-term project, and they want short-term data and program inventories to guide interim diversion and reentry work while construction and planning continue.

Committee members and county staff discussed several data requests and practical limits. Jake (committee member/staff) urged focusing on the large project of the new jail and behavioral health center and on how current resources can support diversion until that facility exists. A second participant said the committee should not just…