Spokane Candidates Questionnaire

Smart Justice Spokane is a broad coalition of over 30 organizations working together to end mass incarceration and eliminate racial disparities in our local criminal justice system. We organize and mobilize together for effective, restorative solutions that are driven by the experiences and needs of those impacted by the criminal justice system. The recovery and integration of those caught up in the criminal justice process is essential for a strong, healthy, and just community.

Spokane Community Against Racism (SCAR) Platform for Change is a coalition advancing a vision of systemic change for the Spokane community that embraces a holistic vision of public safety. This vision reexamines what is considered crime, accounts for its root causes, and recognizes that shared prosperity and community care are at the heart of a healthy society.

The member organizations of Smart Justice Spokane and the Platform for Change coalitions are asking candidates to respond to the following questions. Your responses will be shared publicly.

Overall

Your Name(Required)

1. What racial equity problems exist in Spokane and how will you use this position to fix them?

2. You have an opportunity to re-envision law enforcement and the criminal legal system in Spokane County – what should it look like?

3. How can the community hold you accountable day-to-day in-between elections?

Policing

As you answer the following questions, please consider the context of the passage and implementation of I-940, the 2021 suite of state legislation passed following the murder of George Floyd, repeated studies showing racial disparities in city and county law enforcement stops and arrests, and pushback and resistance from law enforcement.

1. What is your role in ending racial disparities in law enforcement stops and arrests, and in advancing meaningful oversight and investigation of law enforcement?

2. What is your assessment and position regarding the militarized culture of law enforcement, lack of appropriate norms and requirements for de-escalation, and continued use and purchase of military equipment by law enforcement?

3. What are your thoughts about police presence in our schools and how juveniles are impacted by the legal system?

4. With the fall of Roe v. Wade and the resulting projected increase of nearly 400% in people coming to Spokane County for abortion care, what will you do to protect pregnant people’s right to abortion care without being criminalized, especially if they are traveling to Spokane County for that purpose? How will you protect medical personnel and clinics in the same context?

Incarceration

As you answer the following questions, please consider the context of the 2013 Blueprint for Reform and the 2020 poll showing Spokane voters oppose a new jail and support raising sales tax to fund alternatives. http://smartjusticespokane.org/2021/01/15/poll-spokane-voters-oppose-new-jail-and-support-raising-sales-tax-to-fund-alternatives/

1. What is your position on Spokane County building a new jail?

2. Which of the recommendations of the Spokane County Justice Task Force to reduce the jail population, as outlined in the below documents, do you support or oppose and why?

Please include your position on supervised/supported release connecting defendants with services – such as housing assistance, addiction treatment and mental health counseling — in light of this article: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/may/12/supported-release-a-spokane-county-criminal-justic/ – Justice Task Force presentation PDF – see slide 4 for Guiding Principles and slide 21 for summary of recommendations and impact on jail population: https://www.spokanecounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/29562/Spokane-Task-Force-Presentation-010820 – JFA Forecast Presentation to Justice Task Force https://www.spokanecounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/29563/JFA-Forecast-Presentation-010820

3. What experience do you have with the criminal justice system and what have you done to engage the voices of the justice-involved or formerly incarcerated in your work?

4. Our courts continue to lack trauma-informed training and responses, culturally appropriate responses, and interpreter services and training around the immigrant community. People describe being shamed, ignored, and frustrated by our current system. How can you, in your role, help change this (including funding, training, increased staffing etc.)?

5. The Washington State Supreme Court issued a letter acknowledging that our court system is racist and asked every member of the legal community to work on this. What are your thoughts on this statement and what are you doing about it?

https://www.courts.wa.gov/content/publicUpload/Supreme%20Court%20News/Judiciary%20Legal%20Community%20SIGNED%20060420.pdf

Services and community

1. What experience do you have with persons experiencing mental illness and how will you use your position to ensure there is an effective rollout of the recently authorized 988 crisis response system?

https://www.hca.wa.gov/about-hca/behavioral-health-recovery/crisis-response-improvement-strategy-cris-committees

2. With the goal of addressing the root causes of substance use disorder, what is your position on legislation to partially redirect state cannabis revenues to local prevention, outreach, and recovery support services and end arrests and prosecutions of people for possessing drugs for their personal use?

Learn more at www.committochangewa.org

3. Domestic violence continues to be a great concern in our community, with too few shelter beds. How do you plan to address this issue?

4. How would you address the early learning gap in our community?

Housing

1. Why do you think people become homeless in Spokane County and what will you do to address that? For example, what do you see as the County’s responsibility to provide shelter and transitional housing as well as partnering with the City of Spokane?

2. What is your vision for dealing with the lack of housing in our community? What funding (such as using ARPA for rental assistance), tenant rights and protections, affordable housing and infill are needed to keep people housed?

3. People who once had stable housing are often put at risk due to inadequate aging- and disability-related personal care and supports. How do public and private funded in-home services fit into your plan to address our housing crisis?