On March 24, 2026, the Pierce County Council enacted a moratorium on the development of new facilities involving involuntary detention centers. Effective April 4, 2026, this moratorium pauses the permitting and construction of all types of these facilities while County staff review how these facilities are addressed in Pierce County Code.
Pierce County’s Long Range Planning team, which is a part of Planning and Public Works, is currently reviewing land use regulations regarding various types of facilities that involve involuntary detention. These facilities can include uses such as County jails, prisons, state penitentiaries, immigration detention facilities, or involuntary detention at hospitals, amongst other uses.
Pierce County would like to understand how these types of facilities impact residents’ lives. By sharing your story, you can help us determine the path forward for this work. Our goal with these stories is to amplify the voice of the public on this issue, encourage those within our community to openly discuss these difficult subjects, and to raise awareness of the diversity of impacts we experience because of these facilities, positive or negative.
We understand that this topic can be very hard to talk about. By collecting these personal stories, communities can become empowered to discuss their experiences and come together to build a healthier and more sustainable future.