ABERDEEN, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Gov. Jay Inslee has announced plans for a new juvenile rehabilitation facility in western Washington.

Inslee held a press conference at Green Hill School in Chehalis on Monday, Nov. 25, to address what he calls a “juvenile crime wave” that’s hit the state in recent years.

“This was unpredicted and unpredictable,” Inslee said. “But the fact of the matter is we’re getting just an avalanche of new juvenile offenders that are being sent to the state’s juvenile justice system. There is only one short-term solution to this, and that is additional capacity.”

According to a recent report by the Washington State Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, there’s been a 24% increase in juvenile arrests since 2023. Green Hill in particular has seen a 60% increase in juvenile offenders since last year.

Inslee’s proposal includes opening a new facility at Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen that can serve up to 48 young men ages 18-25.

Plans are already underway to begin preparing the site and recruit employees, with the goal of opening in February. Inslee added that the state will continue to look at other site options and consider policy changes that could better manage who is sent to state juvenile rehab facilities.

More details on the plan will be available when Inslee releases his full budget proposal in mid-December.