A Jail Shakedown

King County Jail

The holding cell where Sabrina Owens hanged herself May 11 with a dangling TV electrical cord.

King County Jail

The holding cell where Sabrina Owens hanged herself May 11 with a dangling TV electrical cord.

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More About

• Scott Brown
• Patrick Harrington
• Sabrina Owens
• Prisons
• Criminal Sentencing and Punishment

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Sandeep Kaushik, a spokesperson for Sims, says his boss is "aware of the fact there have been deaths and suicides and is taking the issue very seriously." Among planned changes, the jail will permanently include a health worker at the initial intake process "to better identify people who might be unstable, so they don't slip through the cracks," says Kaushik. County detention director Holtgeerts says the new procedure is already in use and that screening will be further improved next year with the completion of a remodeled intake area. Additionally, Seattle City Council member Tom Rasmussen, a member of the city-county health board, has requested new data on the health and mortality of King County prisoners. In his request to the health department, Rasmussen wrote, "From my reading of the [earlier] Seattle Weekly article it appears that there is inconsistency or uncertainty regarding reported deaths of King County Jail prisoners." He is seeking inmate health statistics from the past five years and wants the department to provide an annual report on jail deaths. "I hope this is the beginning of a significant improvement," Rasmussen said in an interview.

randerson@seattleweekly.com