Island County to host March public meetings on three jail replacement sites

Island County plans a series of public meetings in March on Whidbey and Camano Islands where residents can review a feasibility study and ask questions about three shortlisted sites for a replacement correctional facility, the county announced in a Feb. 19, 2026 public notice. The release says meeting dates, times and locations will be announced next month; the county invited the public to learn about the facility challenges, review three location options and provide input to guide discussions.

The county frames the effort as a response to operational limits at the existing jail, which has 58 beds and an average daily population of 47 inmates in 2024 after a peak of 64 in 2019. Island County Sheriff Rick Felici said of the current building, “Operating safely and effectively under these limitations is becoming increasingly difficult,” and added, “The facility cannot be renovated to meet required standards, which is why the County is beginning a careful, community-informed discussion about a new facility and its location.”

The site-selection process began last year when county staff identified eight potential replacement sites in Coupeville and in the corridor between Oak Harbor and Naval Air Station Whidbey. Of those eight, three were selected for further analysis and cost estimates: two sites in Coupeville and one site in Oak Harbor, according to county materials reproduced in the Feb. 19 release. The feasibility work assessed the sites on the assumption that an adult jail and juvenile detention center would be located on the same campus but priced as stand-alone facilities.

County reports and related materials cited a list of operational shortcomings driving the study: the current jail “lacks space for treatment, mental health and rehabilitation programming,” has infrastructure that complicates meeting accessibility, safety and operational requirements, and faces challenges and potential liabilities from age, design limitations and changing state and federal requirements. One county document summarized the situation by saying the building is at “the end of its useful life.”

Island County provided a point of contact for the public process: Jeff Douglas, Asst. Risk Manager & Safety Coordinator, Island County Budget and Risk Management, 360-679-7373, jdouglas@islandcountywa.gov. County offices are listed at 1 NE 7th Street, Coupeville, WA 98239 (Whidbey Office and mailing address) and 121 N East Camano Drive, Camano Island, WA 98282 (Camano Office). The county main line is 360-678-5111 and the Sheriff’s office is 360-679-7310.

The March meeting series follows an Aug. 2025 presentation to the Board of Island County Commissioners that detailed the jail’s shortcomings, population trends and potential replacement sites and costs. The Feb. 19 release did not include specific site addresses, cost estimates or exact March meeting venues; the county said those details would be released next month.