Keaton Farris, a former CHS student/athlete, died in the Island County Jail April 7, 2015. (Photo courtesy Fred Farris)
We live in a time where everyone seems to get an award.
Whether you win, place or merely show up, here’s a ribbon. Aren’t you special?
But, there’s a huge difference between say, rewarding a little kid for running aimlessly around a soccer field for a few hours and rewarding an institution like, say, a jail, for doing what it should have done in the first damn place.
Here’s what’s irritating me: http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/island-county-jail-wins-award-for-improvements/
When Keaton Farris, a former Coupeville High School athlete fighting mental health issues, died of dehydration and malnutrition April 7, 2015 in the Island County Jail, it was a scandal.
Don’t sugarcoat it.
People screwed up, either choosing to do the wrong thing or making terrible calls in judgement, and a young man died.
End of story.
In the two years since, there has been international media coverage, vigils, lawsuits and firings.
The Island County Jail, and those who work there, have made a public, concerted effort to fix things in the aftermath. For that, certainly, credit is due.
But an award? That the county applied for itself?
Go screw yourself.
After all the kicks in the rear, you now want a pat on the head for doing exactly what you should have already been doing in the first place?
Look, I’m glad you’ve changed things. Glad you’ve improved things.
You had NO CHOICE.
I’m just going to say this — it would have been better to make the improvements THAT YOU HAD TO MAKE and go on about business, without actively seeking a pat on the head afterwards.
The county can hang all the plaques it wants on the wall.
The only thing which really matters is our jail, which sits a mile-and-a-half from my house, a place I pass on almost a daily basis, DOESN’T KILL ANYONE ELSE.
Whether you can apply for the “award” is neither here nor there. What matters is whether you SHOULD have applied for it.
I am firmly on the side of those who say, “No.”
It’s a bad look all around, both the application and any hint of celebrating said “award.”
Someone in the Island County chain of command really should have stopped, thought for a second, and realized just that.
Coupeville Sports 
REALLY REALLY WRONG—-
I have many feelings about this but the one that sticks with me the most is sisgust. My nephew was murdered there so when you look at your pretty award please see his face at pat yourself on the back.
Thank you for this, and for remembering our Keaton. His face adorns my water bottle and is a daily reminder to keep kindness at the top of the list.
Island County Jail is simply a vehicle to administer psychmeds to inmates. This one reality that is happening right now. So in effect this isn’t about rehabilitation but about furthering the distribution of these proven dangerous drugs.
It should be pointed out that those who were fired were ultimately rehired. And realistically there has been no real change.