2005 Washington Revised Code RCW 72.09.300: Local law and justice council, plan — Rules — Base level of services — Juvenile justice services.

(1) Every county legislative authority shall by resolution or ordinance establish a local law and justice council. The county legislative authority shall determine the size and composition of the council, which shall include the county sheriff and a representative of the municipal police departments within the county, the county prosecutor and a representative of the municipal prosecutors within the county, a representative of the city legislative authorities within the county, a representative of the county's superior, juvenile, district, and municipal courts, the county jail administrator, the county clerk, the county risk manager, and the secretary of corrections. Officials designated may appoint representatives.

     (2) A combination of counties may establish a local law and justice council by intergovernmental agreement. The agreement shall comply with the requirements of this section.

     (3) The local law and justice council shall develop a local law and justice plan for the county. The council shall design the elements and scope of the plan, subject to final approval by the county legislative authority. The general intent of the plan shall include seeking means to maximize local resources including personnel and facilities, reduce duplication of services, and share resources between local and state government in order to accomplish local efficiencies without diminishing effectiveness. The plan shall also include a section on jail management. This section may include the following elements:

     (a) A description of current jail conditions, including whether the jail is overcrowded;

     (b) A description of potential alternatives to incarceration;

     (c) A description of current jail resources;

     (d) A description of the jail population as it presently exists and how it is projected to change in the future;

     (e) A description of projected future resource requirements;

     (f) A proposed action plan, which shall include recommendations to maximize resources, maximize the use of intermediate sanctions, minimize overcrowding, avoid duplication of services, and effectively manage the jail and the offender population;

     (g) A list of proposed advisory jail standards and methods to effect periodic quality assurance inspections of the jail;

     (h) A proposed plan to collect, synthesize, and disseminate technical information concerning local criminal justice activities, facilities, and procedures;

     (i) A description of existing and potential services for offenders including employment services, substance abuse treatment, mental health services, and housing referral services.

     (4) The council may propose other elements of the plan, which shall be subject to review and approval by the county legislative authority, prior to their inclusion into the plan.

     (5) The county legislative authority may request technical assistance in developing or implementing the plan from other units or agencies of state or local government, which shall include the department, the office of financial management, and the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs.

     (6) Upon receiving a request for assistance from a county, the department may provide the requested assistance.

     (7) The secretary may adopt rules for the submittal, review, and approval of all requests for assistance made to the department. The secretary may also appoint an advisory committee of local and state government officials to recommend policies and procedures relating to the state and local correctional systems and to assist the department in providing technical assistance to local governments. The committee shall include representatives of the county sheriffs, the police chiefs, the county prosecuting attorneys, the county and city legislative authorities, and the jail administrators. The secretary may contract with other state and local agencies and provide funding in order to provide the assistance requested by counties.

     (8) The department shall establish a base level of state correctional services, which shall be determined and distributed in a consistent manner statewide. The department's contributions to any local government, approved pursuant to this section, shall not operate to reduce this base level of services.

     (9) The council shall establish an advisory committee on juvenile justice proportionality. The council shall appoint the county juvenile court administrator and at least five citizens as advisory committee members. The citizen advisory committee members shall be representative of the county's ethnic and geographic diversity. The advisory committee members shall serve two-year terms and may be reappointed. The duties of the advisory committee include:

     (a) Monitoring and reporting to the sentencing guidelines commission on the proportionality, effectiveness, and cultural relevance of:

     (i) The rehabilitative services offered by county and state institutions to juvenile offenders; and

     (ii) The rehabilitative services offered in conjunction with diversions, deferred dispositions, community supervision, and parole;

     (b) Reviewing citizen complaints regarding bias or disproportionality in that county's juvenile justice system;

     (c) By September 1 of each year, beginning with 1995, submit to the sentencing guidelines commission a report summarizing the advisory committee's findings under (a) and (b) of this subsection.

[1996 c 232 § 7; 1994 sp.s. c 7 § 542; 1993 sp.s. c 21 § 8; 1991 c 363 § 148; 1987 c 312 § 3.]

Effective dates -- 1996 c 232: See note following RCW 9.94A.850.      Finding -- Intent -- Severability -- 1994 sp.s. c 7: See notes following RCW 43.70.540.      Application -- 1994 sp.s. c 7 §§ 540-545: See note following RCW 13.50.010.      Effective dates -- 1993 sp.s. c 21: See note following RCW 82.14.310.      Purpose -- Captions not law -- 1991 c 363: See notes following RCW 2.32.180.      Purpose -- 1987 c 312 § 3: "It is the purpose of RCW 72.09.300 to encourage local and state government to join in partnerships for the sharing of resources regarding the management of offenders in the correctional system. The formation of partnerships between local and state government is intended to reduce duplication while assuring better accountability and offender management through the most efficient use of resources at both the local and state level." [1987 c 312 § 1.]