I support Minjares for Thurston County Prosecutor

Did you know the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) jail statistics reports Thurston County has the most expensive jail in Washington, spending $111 per person, per day? Thurston County also rents jail space from the Nisqually Tribe and Lewis County, spending your real estate excise tax – property tax - dollars.

We need to spend our tax money on jail space for violent criminals and not use our jails – and the jails in other communities – as expensive holding centers for citizens awaiting their due process.

Why do we have so many people locked up?

On July 20, the Olympia Senior Center hosted a Candidate Forum where the current prosecutor stated he has no written policies for charging, diverting and sentencing cases, instead choosing “prosecutorial discretion” as a guide. This subjective standard allows all deputy prosecutors to file cases according to their own understanding and interpretation of charging standards. The current process allows for innate bias, personal understanding of law which promotes inconsistencies among deputy prosecutors when they file similar cases.

I support candidate Victor Minjares for Thurston County Prosecutor. With 15 years as a leading prosecutor, Victor promises clear and consistent standards based on crime-charging evidence; he will appropriately spend our tax dollars while keeping our community safe. Victor brings accountability, ethics, and professionalism to the Thurston County Prosecutor position. Please vote.