By Jennifer Paterson McLaughlin / For The Herald
Along with America, Lynnwood residents are becoming increasingly aware of racial injustice and violence toward people of color. We value human life and justice. We believe that, as our Constitution says, all people are created equal.
So, when we see dehumanization, injustice and unequal treatment, we realize something is wrong. While many of us remain blind to dehumanization, we believe in just change. Therefore, I want to tell you about the injustice occurring in Lynnwood right now, about the proposed jail, branded a “Community Justice Center,” and about Tirhas Tesfatsion, who died July 13 in the Lynnwood jail.
The pandemic brought massive job losses, business closures and forced children to attend school from home, leaving people in need of affordable housing, rental assistance programs and affordable childcare. The pandemic has isolated neighbors from one another, leading to loneliness, depression, anxiety and desperation. We need mental and public health care.
A jail holds people after arrest and before conviction of a crime. People who can pay bail get out of jail quickly, awaiting trial at home. So, jails primarily house those who can’t afford to pay bail or aren’t allowed to. Jails disproportionately criminalize people who are poor and Black or brown. The Lynnwood Jail is a misdemeanor jail, housing people arrested for a driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, theft of something worth less than $750, or assault that is not severe enough to be a felony.
A misdemeanor jail does not make our community safer. Community resources do. But instead of funding vital resources, the Lynnwood City Council unanimously approved a project to build a new Community Justice Center. This approval came during the Derek Chauvin trial, a pursuit of justice for the murder of George Floyd.
The current jail has 46 beds, and the new jail will have 149. To pay for and fill those beds, Lynnwood plans to rent out beds to neighboring cities in Snohomish County, including Mountlake Terrace, Bothell, Edmonds and Mill Creek. I do not want my community to be part of the trading and incarcerating of human beings for money. I do not believe that is how the greater Lynnwood community wishes to be represented. Nor do I want to pay the cost of the liability it brings to Lynnwood.
The federal government has recognized the toll families experienced through the pandemic, and Lynnwood has received $10.9 million in American Rescue Plan Funds for families. Councilmember Jim Smith explored the possibility of using $5 million of these funds to help pay for the new jail. Not housing, not health care. A jail.
Amidst this backdrop, a Black Lynnwood woman, mother, sister and friend, Tirhas Tesfatsion, died in Lynnwood City jail on July 13, after being arrested for an alleged DUI. Drug and alcohol disorders are health issues. We attempt to treat them as criminal issues.
The Lynnwood Jail couldn’t keep Tirhas safe while incarcerated. Tirhas’ death further exacerbates the rate at which the police state mistreats Black women. All encounters with the police are traumatic. Imagine being pulled over as a Black person. For a Black woman with possible mental health concerns? The fear is unimaginable.
We can’t count on jails to treat those who need mental health care. Police and jails do not have the proper training to meet someone where they are. To de-escalate and honor a person’s humanity over their current pain. We know that Black women are not safe with law enforcement. We must stop criminalizing them.
Suicide is the leading cause of death in Washington jails and prisons. No wonder. The Lynnwood Jail is responsible for failing to protect Tesfatsion in her most desperate hour. She needed care. Instead, she was traumatized, punished and shamed. And it cost her her life. Why would we criminalize community issues that could be better treated without police intervention? The City of Lynnwood must be held accountable.
On July 26, Tesfatsion’s family and community demanded the Lynnwood City Council postpone their final vote to approve the contractor and bid on the Community Justice Center for three months. On Aug. 2, the council voted to postpone the vote on the jail bid to Sept. 13.
Lynnwood City Council was tone-deaf in approving a new jail in the middle of the Derek Chauvin trial. Snohomish County residents: Tell Lynnwood City Council to vote no on a new Lynnwood Jail. End the racist oppression of the poor and stop the expansion of the Community Justice Center.
If Lynnwood wants to build a Community Justice Center, build an actual justice center featuring affordable housing, affordable childcare, low-cost mental health services and addiction treatment. Because the community has told the city council what it needs. And it’s not a new jail.
Jennifer Paterson McLaughlin has a master’s degree in social justice and community organizing. A Lynnwood resident, she is vice-chair of the Lynnwood Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission. Her opinions are her own and not on behalf of the commission.
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