The Struggle for a County Jail on Jefferson Street
Facing a desperate need for secure housing for those in custody, the city council secures a rental site on Jefferson Street while plans for a permanent facility remain in flux.
Chairman Hall, of the committee on public and grounds, reported that he had secured a lot on Jefferson Street for jail purposes, for $7 per month, the lease to take effect in six months, and the term for three or five years. The committee on public buildings and grounds was instructed to lease the lot and push the building of a temporary jail as soon as practicable.
“The committee on public buildings and grounds was instructed to lease the lot and push the building of a temporary jail as soon as practicable.”
This 1889 report highlights the perennial, century-old challenge of Seattle’s civic infrastructure struggling to keep pace with rapid urban growth. Today’s debates over the King County Correctional Facility and the future of detention centers mirror this exact search for a solution to temporary, stopgap housing for the incarcerated.
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