By Adam Shanks
The Spokesman-Review
SPOKANE, Wash. — With an additional $700,000 in funding over the next two years, local officials plan to implement a number of measures aimed at reducing the jail population and eliminating racial inequities, including a new program to support defendants who are released while awaiting trial.
The grant was awarded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. It funds the joint efforts of the city of Spokane and Spokane County to better the Spokane region’s criminal justice system.
Several of the local plans outlined Tuesday are targeted at reducing the rate of people in Spokane who fail to appear for a court appearance, which can lead to their incarceration and contribute to overpopulation of the jail.
Full story: $700,000 grant will fund continued criminal justice reform efforts in Spokane