Shoreline will send prisoners to the new Lynnwood Jail

Shoreline police will start transferring inmates to the new Lynnwood Jail, recently approved by the city council. This decision aims to ease the department's heavy reliance on the SCORE jail, which has seen eleven deaths in custody over the past two years. The Lynnwood facility, part of a larger community justice center project, will significantly reduce transport times for police, who previously made a 60-mile round trip to SCORE. Shoreline’s jail costs have skyrocketed, with spending jumping from $586,363 in 2021 to an anticipated $2. 7 million in 2025-2026.

The jail's capacity was adjusted from 120 to 84 inmates following a suicide incident that prompted policy revisions. Although the jail includes a mental health wing, it remains vacant due to difficulties in securing an operator, with operations expected to begin in early 2026. Historically, Shoreline has struggled with jail capacity, relying on various facilities since 2002. The city previously sent prisoners to the King County Jail and other municipalities before SCORE became its primary facility in 2014.