# IPRTF - Justice Project Oversight and Planning Committee - Oct. 15, 2026


**Body:** WhatcomCountyGov
**Date:** October 16, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Public Safety, Construction & Infrastructure, Physical Infrastructure


The Whatcom County Justice Project Oversight and Planning Committee met on October 15, 2026 (the meeting metadata is dated October 16). The committee heard an update on the Pathways therapeutic-community pilot in the jail: its first eight-week cohort was underway, participants had reported positive experiences, and the program was expected to inform future cohorts and the design of services in the new facility. The pilot was too new to assess outcomes, and staff did not yet have a cost per participant. Members also discussed the Q3 progress report, which cited progress into schematic design for the new jail and Behavioral Care Center; no specific contract awards, bids, vendors, or spending amounts were reported.

The committee reviewed proposed updates to the Justice Project implementation plan, including separating the jail and Behavioral Care Center projects, clarifying re-entry and supportive-housing services, adding a project to expand homeless shelter capacity and services, and updating language about the Medicaid re-entry waiver. Members requested clearer project scope, stronger public and stakeholder input, and more detail on funding and implementation. These were discussion points and proposed edits; no vote or approval was recorded. The committee also began identifying topics for its 2027 action plan. No procurement activity was identified.

**Source:** WhatcomCountyGov