LYNNWOOD—Lynnwood Police Chief Cole Langdon and staff, gave an update on the city’s new Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program at the Community Justice Center (CJC) during a Council Work Session on Wednesday, July 16.
“It’s been really incredible seeing this project move along,” said Lynnwood City Council President Nick Coelho. “I’ve spoke to multiple Police Chiefs over the years and each of them said they wanted to redefine what it means to have a jail, and I think seeing the reduced recidivism rates really speaks for itself.”
From August 2024 through June 2025, the CJC completed 51 substance use disorder (SUD) assessments, transported 23 individuals into inpatient from release of which 12 successfully completed treatment. According to CJC data there was a 10% improvement in recidivism—45% not engaged and rearrested vs. 35% engaged and rearrested—of the individuals who engaged in the program, compared to those who did not undergo a program like this.
Chief Langdon was joined by outgoing Jail Commander Joe Dickenson, Jail Manager Greg Curtis, Health Services Administrator Courtney Redburn, and Community Support Specialist Andrea Mullins.
The CJC has been open for nearly a year now and the Lynnwood PD just signed an Interlocal Agreement with the City of Everett on Wednesday, which would allow the CJC to begin housing individuals at the facility. Mountlake Terrace and Mill Creek will soon follow on August 1.
“Our goal going into this was do criminal justice differently. We wanted to open a facility that was rooted in compassion, and connection, and really make sure that people didn’t come back to our facility,” said Dickenson.
How the CJC has “reimagined justice,” Dickenson said, begins with a comprehensive screen process which includes checking the body’s vitals to see where it is, and asking basic questions like “when was the last time you had a hot meal,” or “when was the last time you had a shower?”
Every staff member at the CJC is trained in trauma enforced care, Redburn added, which often takes individuals off-guard because they “don’t expect that type of care from a jail,” but just goes to show how that “reimagining of justice” is put to practice.
When the CJC opened in August 2024, it was an intentionally slow-moving process, Dickenson added, to ensure that all of the systems were “operational and working.” At that time the CJC was staffed at 57% with four student officers in training.
Staffing has been slow, but steadily improving since then, with approximately 27 officers to date.
Medicated Assisted Treatment (MAT) was a big, and new, approach for the jail within its first 11 months with 80-90% of individuals on detox protocols for substance use. The CJC was designated a “Phase I” facility meaning it was only able to treat people for substance abuse if they were already undergoing treatment. However, the Lynnwood City Council approved the jail to use MAT which allows them to start individuals on treatment.
“This is really big,” said Courtney Redburn. “We’ll be able to capture more people and really get them connected. This is really comprehensive it will include the medications, counseling, reentry support, and just being able to connect with them on a deeper level.”
These medical treatments were able to continue, by way of community partnerships, after people exited the doors. Both these community partnerships, in addition to the MAT approval, were key to an individual getting, and continuing, treatment because the CJC – in contrast to a county jail or prison – only holds individuals for a small amount of time (an average of 6.8 days) and oftentimes a problem is not even identified until after the booking process, Dickenson added.
As the CJC’s population increased, the Certified Correctional Trainer (CCT) team expanded to include key community providers.
Following medical analysis and care, everyone who walks through the CJC’s doors are then prepared for reentry. Sometimes this results in transferring them to a different facility to better suit their needs.
Everyone exiting the facility is given a reentry bag containing essentials such as resources, clothing (both new and donated), body care items, Narcan, snacks, water, notepad and pen, sanitizer, and first aid kits. These bags are put together by grant funding from the Healthcare Authority.
Most of those arrested, and detained at the CJC, are arrested for shoplifting (1,269) with the next category (not including non-reportable crimes) being drug/narcotic violations. Non-reportable crimes are any crimes committed that didn’t fit into the top categories (in this case; theft, drug/narcotics, assault, trespass of real property, DUI, destruction/damage/vandalism, weapon law violations, and disorderly conduct).
As part of its implementation plan for 2025 the CJC will be rolling out 1115 Medicaid Wavers – the second state, behind California, to implement a program such as this. Whenever someone is detained at the CJC their benefits are suspended. The 1115 Waiver would afford carceral facilities the ability to bill a range of services to Medicaid and Managed Care Organizations.
In short, this waiver expands Medicaid funding to cover services not typically allowed in jails. By doing so the CJC can now focus more on reentry services, behavioral health, substance use treatment, and social supports, and helps close the “care gap” between incarceration and communities.
Under the 1115 waiver the CJC is required to provide continuity of care before and after release, coordinate with Apple Health Managed Care Organizations, screen for behavioral health and substance use disorders, offer reentry planning at least 30-days prior to release, partner with community providers for housing, case management, and treatment, and document and report service delivery outcomes.
At the root of the CJC it serves to help reduce repeat incarceration, improve public safety and health outcomes, leverages federal and state Medicaid funding, builds partnerships with healthcare providers and community-based organizations, and ultimately strive to take a more proactive approach to public safety rather than reactive.
Continuing through 2025, and into the future, to meet these needs, the CJC needs continual support for staffing and infrastructure to meet these standards, help strengthen community partnerships, ask questions and stay informed as the facility moves through state compliance timelines, and continues to seek sustainable funding to keep the work going.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
