Inmates released under bridge in downtown Seattle

SEATTLE -- Yakima County corrections officials are evaluating the way they release inmates to King County after a video showed inmates being dropped off under a bridge in downtown Seattle.

The video, shot on April 8 and sent to news outlets by Mayor Jenny Durkan's office, shows Yakima County employees letting three inmates go under I-5 near James Street. Durkan's office raised concerns over why the inmates were being dropped off near homeless sites with no supervision or guidance on what to do next.

In a letter to Durkan, state Corrections Secretary Steve Sinclair said the inmates were parole violators who were jailed in Yakima County under a state contract. They were being returned to King County after serving their time.

Yakima County corrections officials told Q13 that it's normal for inmates to be released in Western Washington, but for this particular dropoff, the inmates should have been released a block down the road at the King County Jail.