*Updated Alert* – Stop the Architecture of Misery THIS MONDAY!

On Monday, February 9th, King County Council will attempt to take another step on their misguided path to spend $210 million to build a new youth jail complex for King County’s youth by voting on the design-build team for the proposed facility. Community members successfully took over the January 28^thmeeting of the Budget and Finance Committee, stopping the vote that day. The full Council intends to vote on the contract THIS MONDAY, as well as voting to add $1 million dollars to recruit people of color to build the jail complex. The tide is turning against this plan, and we must keep pushing for NO NEW YOUTH JAIL!

(scroll down to “What Can I Do” for action items)

WHAT IS THIS VOTE ABOUT? *updated*

On December 10, 2014, King County announced that a contractor and two architects, known together as a “design-build” team, had been selected for the new youth jail project
Both the contractor, Howard S. Wrightand the architectural firms HOK and Integrus Architecture have profited from their so-called “justice” portfolios– designing and building police stations, jails, and prisons to house the infrastructure of the racist criminal punishment system.
The February 9th vote by the King County Council would approve granting these prisoner-profiteering companiesa contract to design and build courts and cages for King County’s youth, spreading the architecture of misery.
The County is pushing through the vote because they want the “guaranteed price” on the contract– if they don’t vote by February 13^th, the contractors could raise the cost on building new cages for our youth. We say: vote no, and use the money to support youth and their families instead!
The King County Council will also be voting on spending $1 million dollars for a ‘targeted hiring’ program– to recruit and train people of color, women, and youth to work on building a jail complex where youth of color will be locked up and families of color torn apart. Our communities need jobs, but we reject jobs building a jail complex for our own youth!
WHY HAVEN’T I HEARD ABOUT THIS? *updated*
- As opposition to the project grows, King County is being pushed to answer directly to community members. After announcing the contractor/architect selection in December, the County began advertising an “open house” on January 24^thto receive community input.
- On January 23^rd, the County cancelled the open house, opting instead for a “virtual” open house. This move limits feedback on the design to those with internet connection and computer access. More importantly, the cancelled open house signals that our opposition is working– so much so that the County is afraid to confront real people in real time about the controversial project.
- The King County Council has to voteto approve the design/build team. They’d planned to vote on January 28^th, but by taking over that meeting, we’ve forced them to hold a public hearing on the vote. Let’s show up again this Monday, February 9^th and stop the County from moving forward with this project!

WHAT CAN I DO? *updated*

Keep the pressure on by telling the County to stop this jail-building project and instead invest in real solutions

Show Up and Speak Up:Come in person to show your opposition: January 28, 2015, 1:30 p.m., Room 1001 at 516 3^rd Avenue. Bring a sign! (check out the websites below for more info). Can’t come at 1:30? We’ll be there as long as it takes – check https://www.facebook.com/endingthe.picand https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonIncarcerationStopsHere for updates!
E-mail King County Council Members and let them know you want them to vote NO on the ordinance approving the development contract for the Children and Family Justice Center (Ordinance No. 2014‑0486) and on the ordinance appropriating 1 million dollars for the so-called “Economic Opportunity and Empowerment Program” (Ordinance No. 2015‑0066)

o Cut and paste these e-mails into your browser: joe.mcdermott@kingcounty.gov; kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov;jane.hague@kingcounty.gov; dave.upthegrove@kingcounty.gov;rod.dembowski@kingcounty.gov; larry.gossett@kingcounty.gov;larry.phillips@kingcounty.gov; pete.vonreichbauer@kingcounty.gov; reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov