Editorial | Franklin leaders need to make better case for juvenile justice divorce

Franklin County wants a divorce from Benton County, and as in most divorces, while the adults are fighting over money, the kids suffer the most. Franklin commissioners are trying to abruptly terminate a juvenile justice partnership. That is their right, but they are doing it opaquely, hastily and without regard for the young people whose futures are at risk.

Benton and Franklin counties’ long history of collaboration has served the region well. By cooperating on things like public health, emergency services and juvenile justice services, they reduce government redundancy and save taxpayers money.

For years, Franklin County has paid Benton County to house juvenile offenders at its facility in Kennewick near Lawrence Scott Park. Young people also have access to support and intervention services there as they attempt to break from whatever troubles led them to offend.

On Dec. 17, Franklin commissioners voted to pull out of the agreement to share the facility. Starting on Jan. 1, they plan to ship juvenile offenders to Martin Hall in Medical Lake. That facility serves most counties in northeast Washington, though it is not much larger than Benton County’s facility.

Franklin commissioners chose this course despite opposition from Benton-Franklin Superior Court judges and a contract that runs through 2033 and requires 12 months’ notice to terminate.

The announcement came out of nowhere, without public discussion. The county did not invite residents to weigh in. Commissioners added resolutions to their agenda at the last minute and quickly passed it.

Taxpayers deserve to know how they could have discussed and planned such an impactful change without violating Washington’s open meeting laws.

Franklin County Administrator Brian Dansel says the county will save $2.4 million annually, reducing spending on juvenile services from $2.9 million in 2025 to only $500,000 in the 2026 budget. Critics have called that not savings but defunding a critical public service.

Whether those savings will materialize is far from clear. For years Benton County has effectively subsidized these services, providing infrastructure that Franklin County could not or would not build on its own. Martin Hall charged $250 per bed per day in 2025.

There also could be expensive litigation costs as Franklin and Benton counties square off with competing lawsuits over all this. Just like in a real divorce, the lawyers will win.

If Franklin County officials are unwilling to be good partners, then Benton County should reconsider other agreements with them.

Meanwhile, there is a human cost to young people in the system and their families. Effective juvenile justice connects youth to local services and support systems. The Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families emphasizes that successful rehabilitation requires strengthening family connections and linking youth to community resources. The Twin Rivers Community Facility in Richland, for example, helps youth transition back into the community through local employment, education and family engagement.

That sort of community and family engagement is much harder when families must travel so far to visit a loved one in detention. Medical Lake is a good two-hour drive from the Tri-Cities, near Spokane. Disconnecting kids from their support network, local mental health services, local schools and connections to local employment is a recipe for recidivism.

The move also could affect dozens of employees, potentially costing the region experienced juvenile justice professionals. These are neighbors who could lose their jobs in a budget experiment outsourcing services.

Franklin County has been picking fights like this for months. In September, it suddenly backed out of a human services agreement.

If commissioners genuinely believe they can provide better, cheaper juvenile services, they should make that case publicly with data, not unsupported promises of savings. Give the public a chance to weigh in. Listen to the families that the change will impact and the ones that have benefited from the current arrangement.

Then, if Franklin County still wants a divorce, it should negotiate an orderly transition that gives everyone time to adapt. Benton County and the Superior Court are willing to discuss it, but both sides must come to the table in good faith.