Racial Disparities Appear To Exist In Whatcom County Jail’s Population

Bellingham Defense Attorney, Jail, Mount Vernon Criminal Defense Attorney, Race & Law, Skagit County Criminal Defense, Whatcom County Criminal Defense, , ,

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Excellent article by journalist Hannah Edelman describe the racial disparities found in Whatcom County Jail’s Population.

RECENT DATA ON WHATCOM COUNTY’S JAIL POPULATION

Only 1% of Whatcom County’s residents are Black, according to the 2023 American Community Survey. However, new data found that Black people made up 8.4% of the jail’s population that same year. Similarly, Indigenous people accounted for 1.6% of the county’s population and 12.7% of the jail’s population. While there has not been an official Census survey since 2023, jail population data from 2024 found that 7.8% of the jail’s population was Black and 12.5% was Indigenous that year. The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the jail, did not provide data on the jail’s Latino population.

RECENT DATA ON THE NATION’S JAIL POPULATION

National studies have found that traffic stops also disproportionately impact Black and Latino drivers. According to one analysis of almost 100 million traffic stops nationwide, police regularly stop Black and Latino drivers more than white drivers. These same groups were more likely to have their vehicles searched. The study also found that Black drivers were less likely to be stopped at night, when a driver’s race is much more difficult for police to identify.

The results of Whatcom County Jail’s population were consistent with trends found nationwide. In short, people of color in Whatcom County were disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system.

PEOPLE OF COLOR IN WHATCOM JAIL FACE LENGTHIER JAIL SENTENCES

The amount of time that the jail’s population had spent in custody as of Sept. 2 also varied depending on race. White people had spent a median time of 41 days in jail since their arrest, while Black individuals had spent a median of 52 days in custody. That same metric was 28.5 days for Indigenous people and 72.5 for Latino people.

Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with a crime. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.