Port Orchard council considers paying the county to house youth accused, convicted at municipal court
By KAITLIN STROHSCHEIN
Port Orchard may pay the Kitsap County Youth Services Center to take its juvenile offenders accused or convicted of crimes at Port Orchard Municipal Court. The idea was pitched as a win-win situation for the city and detention center. “It will benefit both Kitsap County and the City of Port Orchard by limiting costs associated with the detention of City of Port Orchard youth and helping Kitsap County to obtain reenue from beds that might otherwise sit empty.” Youth rarely go to the court, and the city isn’t currently set up to provide housing for those who do. “The detention of a juvenile for Port Orchard Municipal Court is rare and may average about 1 detainee or less per year,” according to a staff report about the bill. “The only offenses filed for juveniles in Port Orchard Municipal Court are driving violations for juvenile violators between 16 and 18 years of age.” It will cost the city $80 per juvenile offender for each day that they’re in jail, resulting in an overall cost-savings for the city, according to a report from the city. The city council plans to consider the agreement at a meeting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 30 in the Robert Geiger Council Chambers at City Hall. So keep your comments: We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.
Port Orchard Independent Reporter
November 26, 2010 · 5:50 PM
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