“For those who do not work inside the jail or juvenile detention, these can be somewhat mysterious places. For those who do know the jail and detention, we often see people when they are at the lowest point in their lives.” 

That statement from the opening remarks by Alan Nance, Director of the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) at their annual awards ceremony underscores the importance of the work each and every one of the people in DAJD do every day to provide a safe and secure environment.

“Our annual awards recognize examples of bravery, heroism, and a commitment to excellence in our field,” Nance continued. “These awards help to show our appreciation for those frontline personnel who literally are called to save lives every day. These truly are Community Heroes!” 

There are approximately 800 DAJD employees and over 150 were honored at the 2023 Employee Recognition Awards Ceremony at the Carco Theatre in Renton on Nov. 1. The awards are given in several areas that showcase the professionalism, dedication, and courage these employees possess:

• Life Saving
• Meritorious Service
• Meritorious Achievement
• Distinguished Service
• Certificates of Achievement.

King County Executive Dow Constantine expressed his high regard for the entire DAJD staff, saying “Despite all the challenges, you continue to innovate, continue to succeed, continue to change lives, as many of these awards will attest.”

The Executive went on the thank the staff for serving the community with “consummate professionalism” and for “taking pride in doing a very difficult job and doing it tremendously well.”

See a list of all the recipients here.