Law and Justice
Resource Hub
The Resource Hub, located in Olympia on-site at the Thurston County Courthouse Complex, is a drop-in resource center for people with behavioral health needs who are impacted by the justice system.
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) Program
Thurston County's LEAD Program focuses on community-based case management and alternatives to jail and prosecution.
Upcoming Events
Law and Justice Council Meeting
| Date | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 30, 2023 | 4:00pm-5:30pm |
Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 968 589 3361 One tap mobile |
Law & Justice Updates
Thurston County Joins the Justice Counts Initiative
On November 7, 2023, the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners signed a resolution to join the Justice Counts Initiative. This is a nationwide initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’ Bureau of Justice Assistance and co-led by a coalition of 22 organizations representing a broad range of criminal justice expertise.
By joining the Justice Counts Initiative, the county gains access to free technical assistance from the initiative’s team. The metrics and digital infrastructure are designed to be feasible and useful for law and justice practitioners and decision-makers alike. With the support of the Board of County Commissioners and our law and justice stakeholders, Justice Counts efforts in Thurston County will work toward the goal of accurate, accessible, and actionable law and justice data.
This will be accomplished by:
- Creating a data governance structure for our law and justice agencies, using an equity lens.
- Implementing consensus-driven metrics for county agencies including the jail, courts, Pretrial Services, Sheriff’s Office, Public Defense, and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
- Creating and implementing a digital infrastructure to consolidate, share, and display data in one place, with automated visualizations and dashboards to easily see and understand big picture trends.
“One of our goals for the county’s law and justice system is to get our scattered data sources collected and organized to a point where we can use it to better inform our policy decisions on justice reform,” said County Commissioner, Tye Menser. “By joining Justice Counts, we are able to bring in a national team of experts to support our team in helping make this goal a reality.”
“For several years our law and justice partners have had the goal of improving our data capabilities,” said Leah Landon, Thurston County Criminal Justice Regional Program Manager. “The technical assistance from Justice Counts will allow us better understand how we can improve our current data collection to help us make data-driven decisions regarding law and justice programs, better supporting our community.”
To learn more about Justice Counts, visit the website or contact justicecounts@csg.org.
Thurston County Joins the Stepping Up Initiative
On December 13, 2022, the Board of County Commissioners signed Resolution 16223 to join the Stepping Up Initiative. This resolution formalizes the county’s commitment to reducing the number of people in the Thurston County Correctional Facility with a mental illness and furthers the county’s commitment to creating a healthy and safe community.
Read the full news release here.
Coffee with a Commissioner (Podcast Edition)- Substance Monitoring Program
Join Commissioner Carolina Mejia and District Court Presiding Judge Brett Buckley as they discuss Thurston County District Court's Substance Monitoring Program, how the Court has changed and evolved during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Learn more about out Legal Financial Obligation Reconsideration Event!
Thurston County Resource Hub is Now Open!
The Thurston County Resource Hub is now open Monday-Friday from 12-4pm. The Resource Hub is located at the Thurston County Courthouse Complex and is a drop-in resource center for people with behavioral health needs who are impacted by the justice system.
County, State, and community-based providers will be on-site at the Hub to help individuals connect with services related to:
- Behavioral Health
- Employment
- Education
- Housing
- Public Benefits
- Healthcare
- Legal Support
Coffee with a Commissioner - Resource Hub
Join Commissioner Tye Menser as he talks with Jackie Velasco, Program Manager for Thurston County's new Resource Hub.
Coffee with Commissioner Tye Menser - Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion
Want to learn more about Thurston County's Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) Program? Check out February's episode of Coffee with a Commissioner. Commissioner Tye Menser is joined by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Wayne Graham and LEAD Program Manager Jason Bean-Mortinson.