Whatcom County oversight panel summarizes large public workshop and approves a flexible action plan
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Summary
A Whatcom County Justice Project oversight committee heard a recap of a high-attendance community workshop that used interactive exercises to surface trade-offs for facility design, set priorities for early 2026 engagement, and approved a year-long action-plan calendar to guide panels, SIM mapping and dashboard development.
The Whatcom County Justice Project Oversight and Planning Committee on Wednesday reviewed results from a recent public engagement event and approved a working action plan and calendar to guide outreach and oversight for the year.
Riley, who led the community engagement workshop at Pioneer Pavilion in Ferndale, told the committee more than 100 residents attended and described an interactive "jar" exercise that asked participants to allocate symbolic resources between behavioral-care beds, jail beds and administrative space. "We had jars that looked like this, and we got jars that looked like this," Riley said, summarizing that attendees surfaced a wide range of preferences and trade-offs and that the county will hold another public workshop likely in early 2026.
The committee used the update to refine priorities for the coming months: public panels on diversion and behavioral-health services, a next-generation Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) mapping workshop anticipated in February, and increased coordination with related committees (behavioral health and legal/justice) to avoid duplication. Staff said the county will post a draft, public-facing data dashboard in January that pulls available indicators together as a temporary, living product.
Committee members emphasized outreach to Tribal partners and communities most affected by the justice system. The chair asked for agreement to adopt the draft action plan as a starting point; members voiced assent (voice/visual assent was recorded as "All in favor") and the committee agreed to move forward, with the understanding the calendar can shift as projects evolve.
Public commenters and a youth representative urged earlier touchpoints with people who have lived experience and suggested the committee make it easier for outside participants to connect with project staff. Staff and committee members encouraged interested residents to sign up on the Justice Project oversight web page for updates and future participation opportunities.
The meeting closed with logistical notes about upcoming presentations and an assurance that the calendar and engagement plans are intended to be responsive as new data and public input arrive.
