By Bill Lucia | Editor
Staff turnover and troubling incidents among residents are serious problems at Washington’s juvenile detention facilities, according to a new audit. Nearly half of frontline staff leave within a year, and many report feeling unsafe and unsupported on the job, according to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee report. It also said that strained capacity led to a quadrupling of fights, assaults and contraband incidents at the state’s Green Hill School in Chehalis between 2022 and 2024.
Also in today’s edition…
How Democratic Party divisions over Israel are showing up in Washington politics.
And, don’t forget to check out our voter guide.
News tips, feedback, questions? Email us: [email protected]
(Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)
By Jake Goldstein-Street
Tana Senn, secretary of the Department of Children, Youth and Families, told lawmakers she agrees with issues highlighted in the new audit. “Their points about the lack of safety for staff and for young people when there is overcrowding, we completely agree, and we’ve been shouting from the rooftops about that,” Senn said. She said her agency will need increased funding to solve the problems.
A change in state law allowing youth convicted of crimes to be kept in juvenile detention, instead of adult prison, until they turn 25, is one reason for the ballooning population in recent years. State forecasts show a potential for continued overcrowding. Meanwhile, more and more of the young people incarcerated at Green Hill face longer sentences for violent crimes like murder, sex offenses and robbery, meaning fewer beds open up.
A protester against U.S. funding for Israel is seen during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol building in 2024. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
By Donna Gordon Blankinship
A split among Democrats on U.S. support for Israel has been increasingly visible in Washington state over the past year or so. The topic barely registered on Washington opinion polls before the 2024 presidential election.
Now, Israel is firmly part of the political conversation. In June, the state Democratic Party approved a platform that mentions Israel repeatedly, along with references to Jews and Palestinians. A measure in the U.S. House to cut military aid to Israel drew support from three Washington Democrats, while five voted against it.
“Elected leaders need to listen. It’s become clear that Democratic voters, even most American voters, want to stop sending weapons to Israel,” said Advocate Yaz Kader, a Palestinian who was a delegate to the party convention.
Not everyone is comfortable with the direction things are moving. Sen. Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island, who is Jewish, was disappointed with the state party platform and said it made her feel like maybe she didn’t belong in the party anymore.
With ballots out and the Aug. 4 primary less than three weeks away, we hope you’ll take a few minutes to check out our voter guide. We surveyed more than 100 candidates competing in races for 20 seats in the Legislature, five positions on the state Supreme Court, and two spots in the U.S. House.
ICYMI
Washington voters begin casting primary election ballots | by Jerry Cornfield
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