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Prevention, Restoration, Accountability
May 2026

Budget and Priorities are Set, So What Happens Next? 

At the April 28th meeting, the County Council set a budget cap for planning purposes of $225 million for Justice Project facilities, and at the following meeting passed a resolution stating their priorities and values. So what happens next?

The Design Build Team has been hard at work fleshing out the nuts and bolts of what needs to be included in the new facilities.

For the Behavioral Care Center on Division Street, this includes the operating model, the services the center will provide, and the populations it will serve. For more details, review the Behavioral Health Analysis which was delivered at the end of March 2026.

For the new Jail, the Design-Build team is developing the list of facility features to be included in the design. This work is being done in consultation with county correctional staff, health professionals and facility construction experts. This process involves hard choices as the team works to get the best facility within today's financial constraints.

The Executive will bring this report to the Finance and Facilities Advisory Board to receive feedback before it is presented to the County Council. 

Once feedback is received from the County Council on the new Justice Facilities, the architects can go to work developing the plans in August, with the expectation that construction begins in 2027. 

Third Community Engagement Workshop Set for July 22nd

Join us July 22nd from 6PM to 8PM at the Squalicum Boathouse (2600 N. Harbor Loop) for the third Community Engagement Workshop! Learn how input from the public and subject matter experts in the field was incorporated into the plans, and explore the research that shaped the development of these facilities. For questions and ADA accommodations for this event, please contact Riley Sweeney via email or by phone 360-778-5213

Superior Court Opens New Courtroom and Office Space

In spring this year, the County completed a brand-new courtroom space on the third floor of the County Courthouse. The new courtroom space adds critical capacity to our Court system and represents a multi-year effort and collaboration between the Executive and Judicial branches of government with funding being provided through the State.  
 
The new courtroom provides Whatcom County with a beautiful and high-tech space that is accessible to all. The funding provided by the State legislature helps ensure that Whatcom County Superior Court has the necessary resources to address the current WRIA 1 Water Adjudication pending before it and all other matters that come before the Court. 
 
Whatcom County Superior Court would also like to thank the Administrative Office of the Courts for its support, and the County's Facilities and IT divisions who helped plan and execute the creation of this new space.  
 
The new courtroom reflects the Court’s commitment to a continued and expanded access to justice in a space that the entire community can be proud of. 

Whatcom County Launches New Justice Project Data Tracking Site

Led by the efforts of the Justice Project Oversight and Planning (JPOP) Committee, Whatcom County launched a new data tracking site in April to share currently available data related to the Justice Project, the voter-approved initiative to reshape our community’s criminal justice and behavioral health systems.

The site presents data and reports from a variety of sources with a nexus to the county’s criminal justice and behavioral health systems, including the Anne Deacon Center for Hope Crisis Triage Center, the Sheriff’s Office, and various diversion programs operating in the county.

Tawsha Thompson, Co-Chair of the JPOP Committee, stressed that reliable and accessible data is essential to the success of the Justice Project. She said, "Data allows us to better understand current outcomes, identify disparities, measure progress, and guide meaningful, evidence-based improvements tailored to our community."

The new data tracking site compiles the most relevant data available now in an easy-to-access format while Whatcom County continues its work to develop a comprehensive data dashboard.

You can access the Justice Project Data Tracking Site here.