Most offenders who are sentenced to a short-term jail sentence, or who would be unable to complete jail alternatives successfully are confined to serve their sentences with the Pierce County Jail in Tacoma. As this option is costly for local jurisdictions, Lakewood Municipal Court offers several different alternatives in lieu of traditional jail time:

• Work Crew
• Electronic Home Monitoring
• Community Service option through a non-profit organization
• Alternative Jail location for long-term offenders at Wapato City Jail

These programs benefit the Court and the community:

• defendants complete their sentences without early release due to jail overcrowding
• substantial saving in jail expenses
• Work Crew and community service alternative provides a resource for labor for maintenance and projects in the City of Lakewood

Work Crew

The Work Crew alternative to jail is offered to low-level offenders who are screened prior to acceptance into the program. All participants are supervised by the Work Crew Supervisor or his designee while performing labor in the City.