King County Prisons Director John Diaz Stepping Down After 3 Years

SEATTLE, WA —King County announced Monday that John Diaz will be stepping down in late June as the director of the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD), which oversees the county's adult jails, youth detention, community corrections and other alternatives to secure detention.

Allen Nance, currently the King County Juvenile Division director, has been nominated as Diaz's successor subject to approval by the King County Council, the county said in a statement. If approved, Nance will take over on June 25.

King County Executive Dow Constantine appointed Diaz as the DAJD director in April 2019, and Diaz took over the position in August of that year. He guided the department through the pandemic.

The county said Diaz has worked with partners in the criminal legal system to greatly expand alternatives to secure detention, helping King County lower the average daily jail population and the number of detained youth.

Diaz also has focused on equity and social justice, both for the people in the department's care and its employees, according to the county.

"Throughout his career, John Diaz has been an exemplary public servant, in his role as DAJD director and beyond," Constantine said. "I am grateful for his commitment to rethinking the criminal legal system in support of reducing racial disparities and driving community-based alternatives. I wish him well as he embarks on this next chapter of life."

Diaz thanked Constantine for the opportunity to lead the DAJD and work for the county.

"I am honored to have served as DAJD's director, working with the people from this organization who do a very difficult job with professionalism and empathy," Diaz said. "They carry out their duties through extraordinary circumstances, including the ongoing pandemic."

Nance, meanwhile, was named director of DAJD's Juvenile Division in November 2019, following a nationwide search. He has been working to realize Constantine's goal of maintaining community safety while preparing to close King County's secure youth detention facility by 2025, according to the county.

"We are fortunate to have another experienced and committed leader within our ranks to continue the department's vital work, and I thank Allen Nance for stepping into this role as we move forward," Constantine said.

Before coming to King County, Nance served as the chief juvenile probation officer for the city and county of San Francisco. Prior to that, he led the criminal justice policy efforts for the San Francisco Mayor's Office and spent several years working for probation departments in DuPage County and Cook County, both in Illinois.

"I am humbled by the opportunity to serve King County in this important role leading the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention and want to thank John Diaz for his leadership to the department and his lifelong commitment to public service," Nance said.

Nance continued: "I look forward to the work ahead as we improve conditions of confinement for those in our custody, support the hardworking people of the department and advance the community safety goals that enhance the quality of life for those who live, visit, or work in our county."

King County also announced that Quanetta West will take over as the interim director of DAJD's Juvenile Division when Nance leaves the post. West currently is the deputy director of the Juvenile Division.