Balanced Justice: Moving Past Partisanship for Local Progress

Is the nation's polarization of political parties limiting our potential at home? Research published in the American Journal of Political Science explored this issue in depth, analyzing how partisanship affects our ability to reason and enact sound judgment. The study found when asked to evaluate the resumes of students applying for scholarships, both Democrats and Republicans were more likely to award the scholarship to the student they viewed as more closely aligned with their political party. Shockingly, perceived party preference impacted the scholarship outcome more than the student's grade point average.   

Party cues are powerful in candidate selection, often working against moderate candidates and consensus builders. This leads to a winner-take-all mentality of the majority party and an irreverence to minority input. Blue states get bluer, red states redder, and Whatcom County is no exception.

This was evident in the August primary election for Bellingham’s at-large City Council seat, where the winning candidate offered the following statement in the voters' pamphlet, "I've helped flip critical seats from red to blue in Whatcom County." It is an explicitly partisan statement, leaving no doubt as to the party allegiance of the candidate but doing little to relieve the biggest threat to community health: the lack of affordable housing. Next year, the City Council will have a rare opportunity to enact meaningful reform to housing policy by updating the Bellingham Comprehensive Plan, which is required by the Washington Growth Management Act every eight years. Other candidates in the at-large Council race with decades of experience in non-profit housing, home construction, and land-use policy were passed over in favor of partisan platitudes—yielding a missed opportunity for needed expertise in housing policy. 

Moving away from partisanship is the only path forward for better outcomes, and this change must begin locally. We need past and present civic leaders to resist the pressure of political party dogma and seek compromise. Voters need to reward these efforts - both require individual acts of courage. 

We have an opportunity to do just this with a "yes" vote in November for the sales tax levy to build new and improved jail facilities in Whatcom County. Unlike past jail levy proposals, the current effort includes safeguards to ensure new facilities are constructed as promised, including supportive services for mental health, substance abuse, and effective re-entry programs.

Forceful taking of an individual's freedom by the government is a power that citizens should not grant without scrutiny. The opponents of the proposed jail hold criticisms of merit, including the imperative to reduce overall incarceration rates. However, we must reduce incarceration without accepting anti-social behavior and social decay. Theft, graffiti, trespassing, vandalism, public drug use, prostitution, and other nonviolent crimes are best addressed through diversion programs and rehabilitative approaches such as mental health courts, drug courts, and other community court models. These alternatives to incarceration better represent a justice system designed to heal communities rather than punish their most marginalized citizens. Building new jail facilities does not need to hinder meaningful reform to our justice system.

Restorative programs and alternatives to incarceration are ineffective without the means to incarcerate, which currently do not exist. Overcrowded and unsafe jail facilities limit our potential to address and treat the root causes of anti-social and destructive behavior. Booking restrictions at the current jail are reserved for the most serious crimes. Currently, twelve people are being held in Whatcom County for murder, which leaves law enforcement few options but to ignore minor crimes. The diversion and restorative programs that do exist are essentially voluntary since little recourse exists when vulnerable participants suffering from drug addiction and mental health crises simply choose not to participate.

Safe and adequate jail facilities are needed to supplement and support restorative justice and behavioral health programs. Accountability and compassion are compatible virtues and must be balanced in a well-functioning justice system. Passing the Whatcom County Jail levy this fall will ensure that essential public infrastructure supports ongoing efforts to improve our justice system.