Bellingham Municipal Court

		
		
                                                    RULE 19
                                           JAIL AND JAIL ALTERNATIVES

     1)  Use of Jail Alternatives.  Unless otherwise ordered in writing, a sentence to jail shall permit the
defendant to apply for jail alternatives and the defendant may serve the defendant's jail sentence on jail
alternatives at the defendant's expense if deemed eligible by the Whatcom County Jail ("WCJ"), the Yakima
County Corrections Center ("YCCC") or a jail alternative provider under contract with the City of Bellingham
("City").  The Court does not permit its sentences to be served at any privately-operated jails or privately-
operated jail alternative programs except those under contract with the City.  The Court may consider a
defendant's request to serve a jail term at another jail or jail alternative facility administered by a law
enforcement agency at the defendant's expense if the defendant is deemed eligible by that law enforcement
agency, and the defendant shall prove service of such sentence to the satisfaction of the Court.  The Court will
not order the WCJ nor the YCCC to accept any inmate for any jail alternatives program who is not deemed
eligible by the applicable program.

     2)  Temporary Release.  Requests for temporary release from custody will only be considered by the Court
in cases of urgent medical necessity as recommended by the medical staff of the WCJ or YCCC or, under
circumstances and upon conditions deemed appropriate by the Court, for release to an in-patient treatment
facility.  The Court will not consider nor grant temporary releases for funerals, work, family care, or any other
circumstances.

     3)  Jail Supervision.  The Whatcom County Sheriff, not the Court, is responsible for the operation and
supervision of the WCJ and jail alternative programs.   The Court will not enter any order contrary to the
Sheriff's lawful policies regarding the operation of the WCJ or jail alternative programs.

     4)  Eligibility for and credit earned in private jail alternative programs under contract with the City
pursuant to a sentence of the Court shall be governed by a general order of the Court and applicable laws.
Pretrial or pre-probation hearing restrictions that are less than total confinement, including electronic
monitoring and home detention, shall not result in credit for time served, unless otherwise ordered in writing
by the Court.


[Effective February 2016]