ACLU suing King County for unhealthy conditions at county jail

King County is being sued by the ACLU of Washington, alleging the county violated an agreement guaranteeing staffing and conditions at the King County Jail. 

The suit, filed in Pierce County Superior Court, says the county is in violation of the settlement negotiated some 25 years ago. 

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Attorneys for the ACLU say current conditions are putting the health and safety of inmates at grave risk, because of decisions made by King County officials. 

“We worked with the county over the last six or seven months to see if we could find common ground to resolve our concerns or see if the county was able to develop a plan, but we were unable to find a common ground around that,” ACLU Legal Director La Rond Baker told KIRO Newsradio.

They point to the high suicide rates, transportation to court, delays in mental health and medical treatment, and low staffing as some of the issues.

We have reached out to King County Executive Dow Constantine and are still awaiting a response.

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