### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee met on March 11, 2025, with Committee Chair Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, and Jon Scanlon present. The meeting focused on two main items: a comprehensive report from District Court Probation on their programs and services, and discussion of updated correctional facility standards for the county jail system. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Probation Caseload:** The number of individuals assigned to a single probation officer for supervision, monitoring, and case management. **DVPOTS:** Domestic Violence Perpetrator Opportunity for Treatment Services - a funding program providing financial assistance for domestic violence assessments and treatment for indigent offenders. **DVMRT:** Domestic Violence Moral Recognition Therapy - an in-house workbook-based group program facilitated by probation officers to address domestic violence behavior patterns. **Pretrial Supervision:** Monitoring and conditions imposed on defendants before their trial or plea, often including substance testing and check-ins. **TAD (Transdermal Alcohol Detection):** Electronic ankle bracelets that continuously monitor alcohol consumption through the skin. **PREA:** Prison Rape Elimination Act - federal standards requiring training and policies to prevent sexual abuse in correctional facilities. **Family Justice Calendar:** A specialized court calendar where Judge Anderson sees domestic violence probation cases every three weeks for additional accountability. **Deferred Prosecution:** A five-year program requiring sobriety and treatment that can result in case dismissal upon successful completion. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Barry Buchanan | Committee Chair | | Tyler Byrd | Council Member | | Jon Scanlon | Council Member | | Jake Wiebusch | District Court Administrator | | Judge Jonathan Rantz | District Court Judge | | Steve Harris | Undersheriff, Whatcom County Sheriff's Office | ### Background Context District Court Probation has experienced significant growth since COVID, with annual increases of at least 5% and a 10% spike in 2024. The department serves not only Whatcom County but also contracts with five cities (Bellingham, Blaine, Everson, Lynden, and Sumas) to provide probation services. Most cases involve DUI, alcohol/drug offenses, and domestic violence, with increasingly complex circumstances including dual diagnoses and high-risk factors. The correctional facility standards update represents the first comprehensive modernization proposal since standards were suspended in 2019. Sheriff Tanksley made updating these standards a priority when taking office, working throughout 2024 to develop standards that align with current best practices while keeping oversight within county code rather than moving to purely administrative policies. ### What Happened — The Short Version Jake Wiebusch presented an extensive overview of District Court Probation's operations, highlighting their various specialized caseloads including general DUI supervision, domestic violence high-risk cases, behavioral health cases, and mental health court. The department has implemented numerous innovative programs including DVPOTS funding, in-house group therapy programs, electronic monitoring, and comprehensive text messaging systems. They received $178,000 in state funding to expand their mental health court programs and plan to implement a randomized color-coded substance testing system. Steve Harris then presented updated correctional facility standards that would modernize county jail operations while keeping policy oversight with the County Council. The standards emphasize constitutional compliance, staff training, inmate rights, health services, and transparent operations. Council Member Galloway noted some minor pronoun corrections needed in the ordinance language. ### What to Watch Next - The corrected ordinance language for correctional facility standards will likely move forward to full Council action - District Court Probation will implement their new color-coded substance testing system starting with mental health court participants - Jake Wiebusch will return in two weeks to present specifically about court operations (separate from probation) - Sheriff's Office policies and procedures will be posted online for public access once updates are completed ---