Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Will the closure of a jail in Seattle mean that all convicts will be released prematurely?
Thursday, July 23, 2020
By Allegra Taylor
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NO
On July 21, King County announced plans to close a jail in downtown Seattle as soon as the coronavirus pandemic is under control.
The county will continue to operate a second, more modern jail in a suburban city. With the downtown closure, the country said it use “a more therapeutic model" to find alternative housing for inmates with specific mental health or medical needs. New programs will reduce the overall need for jail space, although specific details of the plan haven't been released.
Some community members have criticized the plan, predicting higher crime rates as a result. While that remains to be seen, advocates of judicial reform say some states have successfully reduced both incarceration and crime rates.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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