Seattle Refuses To Learn Its Lesson On Petty Crime

A heavily Democratic city run by a socialist mayor appears to be giving an alternative approach to the court system another go.

Democratic Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans publicized the new sentencing strategy dubbed “Connection Court” during a Thursday press conference, the Seattle Times reported. The court — which had already convened for the first time the day earlier — will allow low-level criminals convicted of nonviolent offenses to engage in services like substance use treatment, job support, health benefits and peer support in place of serving time or paying fines.

“Solving our city’s serious public safety challenges requires changing people’s behavior, in ways that last. My experience prosecuting criminal cases taught me that one-size-fits-all policies do not deliver those long-term changes we need,” Evans said in a Thursday press release from her office. “Smart justice means holding people accountable who repeatedly break the law, and also helping those who are ready to be helped, while maintaining supervision and accountability as that process plays out.”

Socialist Democratic Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson appeared to praise the new program.

“Connection Court recognizes that people with complex needs need tailored approaches. If individuals are cycling through our criminal legal system over and over that means something isn’t working, and this is a thoughtful, intentional approach to break that cycle while maintaining accountability,” she said according to the release from the City Attorney’s Office.

Some public defenders called the new model “watered-down” and similar to “Community Court” — a system established in 2020 during the height of the George Floyd protests, which was ultimately scrapped in 2023, the Seattle Times reported.

Connection Court provides pathways for potential work with the Downtown Seattle Association’s ambassador program, a second-chance employer, where participants clean city streets downtown and help tourists and locals, according to the outlet.

Separately from the Thursday press conference, Evans also announced the High-Priority Repeat Offenses (HiPRO) system which targets people who frequently cycle through the legal system and “seeks firmer consequences for those who have taken advantage of Seattle’s compassion,” according to the release.

Wilson has previously come under scrutiny for unconventional policies she has proposed to address criminal justice. In June, she proposed using “red flag” gun control laws to disarm sex traffickers — as opposed to simply arresting the offenders.