On any given day, fifty-plus young men and women live locked behind bars in the Jefferson County Jail in Port Hadlock. They range in age from twenty to twenty-eight years old.  Seventy-five percent are male. All are white. Instead of building careers and raising families – they spend their days in narrow cells and cell blocks, with brief access to an “open air exercise facility.”

Crimes range from theft, to assault, to burglary, to forgery, to drug offenses – but actually – almost all are drug or alcohol-related. Most are committed under the influence of drugs, or to acquire resources to buy, sell, or use drugs. The poison runs the spectrum from OxyContin and Oxycodone to Fentanyl and Methamphetamine, with a wide range of deadly hybrids including Fentanyl-laced synthetic marijuana (K-2), Fentanyl-laced heroin, and even Fentanyl-laced cocaine.

These are not victimless crimes. Desperate cravings and the maddening hunger of withdrawal leads inevitably to broken promises, broken families, broken laws – broken bodies and broken lives. But according to Jefferson County Jail Superintendent David Fortino, for those awaiting sentencing – or those serving time, jail can be a haven of sorts, providing a humane “time-out” for inmates – and the community at large.

Superintendent David Fortino

“We’re not mad at anybody. We’re not here to punish anyone,” said Fortino. “We are committed to providing a safe, secure environment, and care for them while they are here.” But haven or not – jail is bleak.

Jefferson County contracts out for inmate meal service. Two chefs serve up three nutritious meals, typically: a cold breakfast, a hot lunch, and a hot dinner. Jail staff deliver the meals on carts. One tray per person, per meal – no second helpings, exchanges or substitutions. The tray, spork, cup and bowl (if applicable) must be returned immediately following the meal, when trays are collected by jail staff and/or kitchen workers. If you miss the cart, you miss the meal.

At 5:00 a.m. inmate cells are unlocked, and the lights, TV and phones are turned on. From 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. meds are distributed, and breakfast is served. Superior Court video appearances are scheduled for 11:30 a.m., and lunch is served at noon. Afternoon classes begin at 1:00 p.m. and midday medications are distributed from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. District Court video appearances are scheduled after 1:15 p.m. Dinner is served at 5:00 p.m. Evening meds are passed from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. Lock down at 9:00 p.m. Lights-Out is at 10:00 p.m.

A cell at the “Hadlock Hilton”

On the whole, it’s a pretty drab existence. Yes – a non-denominational group conducts weekly Bible Study Sunday nights. Inmates can request assistance to get a G.E.D. or complete high school. Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and Anger Management programs can assist inmates through personal difficulties. Some inmates may qualify for work crews or inmate worker status. Life Skills classes are held weekly – encouraging healthy ways to cope with life changes and relapse prevention.

Yes – inmates have access to medical and emergency dental services, and necessary medical care is never denied based on inability to pay – but it’s not boutique healthcare by any means.

And yes, the jail provides controlled access to a telephone (collect calls only), and limited visits with friends and family on visiting lists (on either side of glassed partitions with phone handsets on either side).

But there’s not getting around it, life behind bars is grim.

Hollywood and the “entertainment industry” tend to glamorize the world of illegal drug use. Beautiful people with beautiful clothes in beautiful cars – rolling in money and influence. A touch of rebellion, a big dose “sticking it to the man.” There’s none of that in Jefferson County. No one gets rich – or stays “in the money” for long, and the superficial thrill of the first hit hurtles the user inevitably and rapidly towards the terrors of dependency. The drugs are unimaginably addictive and unimaginably destructive. Addicts lose their jobs and families, their health, and too often, their lives.

Cold-turkey detox in initial holding cells offers the inmate a clarity he or she hasn’t experienced for years. But there is little joy. As their minds clear, the severity of their situation sinks in. After a week or so of regular meals, rest, and mandatory hygiene, some of the visible sores, injuries and wounds that are the outward sign of the addict may heal. But the damage caused by prolonged drug abuse leaves lasting scars – external and internal, physical and psychological.

Some wags refer to the Jefferson County Jail as the “Hadlock Hilton.” It’s an unfortunate joke, evoking dark memories of American POWs being abused by the North Vietnamese. There is no abuse – certainly no institutional abuse – at the Jefferson County Jail. Inmate Rights are carefully enunciated and scrupulously enforced. On the other hand, the facility is absolutely no “Hilton,” in any way, shape or form.

According to statistics in the current Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) Strategic Plan, since 2001, 57 percent of inmates have returned to the jail at least once. Veteran corrections deputies have established long-standing professional relationships with many local offenders. This familiarity can help prevent confrontations and reduce the need for use of force – but it is no “Kumbaya” bonding.

l“We try to treat inmates with the maximum degree of compassion, dignity, and even respect possible under the circumstances,” said Superintendent Fortino. “But still, I’ve never had anyone say to me that they can’t wait to see me again next time.”

Even at full strength – the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) does not enjoy robust staffing – and overtime and extra shifts are common. While competitive salaries are a major goal of current strategic plans, the JCSO has experienced high turnover of patrol and correction deputy staff – and are currently understaffed.

Nonetheless, the JCSO (operations, county jail, civil division and administration) annual budget exceeds $6 million. When linked to peripheral services ranging from lawyers, bail bondsmen, and counselors, to academia, charities, foundations, contractors, and healthcare providers, and Port Townsend and state law enforcement and health expenditures, drug-related crime looms as one of the largest economic drivers in Jefferson County.

Sadly, with recidivism on the rise, and the opiate crisis showing no signs of peaking soon, it has all the trappings of a growth industry.