Jail Health Services recently wrapped up a successful month of COVID-19 vaccinations, building on a program that used financial incentives to encourage vaccine uptake among people in custody.

As part of the COVID-19 Vaccine Benefit Program, people detained at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle and the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent were provided a $50 credit to their commissary accounts (“books”) for any dose as part of their overall vaccine series. Anyone receiving a first, second, or a booster dose was eligible.

From May 19 to June 21, staff administered 500 vaccine doses totaling $25,000 in donor dollars distributed. This represents a 66% increase in vaccines administered compared to the same period in April 2022. During this period the vaccine refusal rate decreased from 74.3% to 51.9%.

“This strongly suggests that these benefits remain popular among our in-custody populations, and that they represent a significant step in improving the overall health and safety in the facilities,” said Jail Health’s Chris Rampaul, a member of the Vaccine Benefit Program.

COVID-19 vaccination rates inside jails and prisons lag behind the community at large. That’s the case at King County jails, even though everyone in custody is given opportunities to get vaccinated starting at intake.

Among King County residents over the age of 5, an estimated 94% have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, and about 54% have received a booster dose in addition to their primary series.

Vaccinations are required for all King County employees working in secure detention.

Leadership at Jail Health Services (JHS) and the Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention (DAJD) commended staff for their efforts on the Vaccine Benefit Program, which brought an increased administrative workload.

Those who helped make the work possible included: the JHS Vaccine Nursing team, DAJD’s uniformed employees, DAJD finance staff, JHS Health Information Management, and the JHS project team.

Staff continue to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to people in custody without the commissary credit.

Jail Health Services is a division of Public Health – Seattle & King County.

Originally posted in King County Sheriff’s Office News

Recently, Sound Transit Resource Deputies Steve Wright and Marshall Smith were assisting BNSF Railway police with contacting the occupants of the pictured encampment, located on rail property near Skyway. As the photos show, the encampment wasn’t suitable for anyone to be living in or around.

However, Deputies Wright and Smith found a woman and her 21-month-old son living here. The woman said she and her son had been living in the encampment for over a year.

Deputies Wright and Smith knew they needed to step in get this mother and her son some help, so they reached out to the Salvation Army Street Level Group. 

Street Level is an arm of the Salvation Army that does outreach for people living in vehicles and parking lots. The Salvation Army was able to get the mother and her child into a clean, safe place while they worked on a permanent solution.

A couple weeks after the initial contact, Deputies Wright and Smith learned the Salvation Army was able to get the mom and son to Idaho to live with a relative.

To learn more about King County’s efforts to end homelessness visit www.kingcounty.gov/housing. To apply for housing or shelter click here.

Originally posted in King County Sheriff’s Office News

On Thursday June 16, law enforcement throughout the state participated in the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for the Special Olympics. The mission is to raise awareness and funds for the Special Olympics movement, and several King County contract city partners also participated. Shoreline, Burien, Sound Transit, Sammamish, Maple Valley, and Covington ran or walked alongside community members and King County Deputy Kristi Bridgman, who led the effort. 

There were also two Special Olympic athletes in attendance, both of whom have been participating in the Torch run for five years.

The events didn’t end there, as the Special Olympics hosted their annual Olympic Games on Saturday, June 19. In attendance were law enforcement officers, considered the ‘Guardians of the Flame’, who carried the Torch for the opening ceremonies at Pacific Lutheran University. This was the first in person Special Olympics Games in Washington in over two years! For more information on the history LETR, check out this video: Game Changers | History of the Law Enforcement Torch Run – YouTube

Originally posted in the June edition of Roll Call, the newsletter for the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention

Commander Todd Clark’s deep experience working for King County jails made him a wealth of institutional knowledge. At the end of April, Clark stepped down from the commander’s role for both the Seattle and Kent divisions.

He had been leading the Seattle Division since 2020, following Gordon Karlsson’s retirement. In the fall of 2021, he took on the added role as commander of the Maleng Regional Justice Center, after Ed Bautista retired.

Clark’s tenure as commander spanned unprecedented times, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the added challenges during the Omicron surge.

His career with the department began in May of 1982, shortly after completing his service in the U.S. Army. He was first assigned to the jail that was located inside the Courthouse, four years before the King County Correctional Facility opened.

As a sergeant in the 1990s, he assisted with opening the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, then returned to the Seattle Division years later as a captain and then major.

Interim Commanders Troy Bacon and Lisaye Manning are overseeing the Seattle and Kent divisions. The majors positions are being held open for now.