Inside the Washington juvenile prison opening next month

Kendrick Rochelle has been visiting Washington's Green Hill School to recruit young men for a new leadership program at Harbor Heights, set to open on June 9. This facility will serve young adults aged 18 to 25, helping to alleviate the severe overcrowding in the state's juvenile detention system. Rochelle’s personal experiences resonate with the inmates, and his consistent presence has led to two to three applications daily from those seeking to improve their lives. Harbor Heights will provide better living conditions, with each resident having a private room equipped with a small TV and access to therapy and leadership training. State officials recognize this opening as a positive step but stress that it will not fully resolve the overcrowding crisis at Green Hill, which has been operating above its safe capacity for months.

The two-year budget recently signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson includes $25 million for Harbor Heights, but lawmakers have yet to find a comprehensive policy solution for the broader issue. Critics argue that retrofitting old facilities does not adequately address the needs of young offenders. Despite the challenges, state officials express hope that Harbor Heights can serve as a model for future community integration post-release.