Chad's
Accomplishments
Chad Enright has implemented many improvements to the prosecutor’s office and our community, including:
Addressing crime at the source
Chad worked with the City of Poulsbo to create the North Kitsap Recovery Resource Center, a walk-in, no-cost drug and alcohol recovery facility. The Prosecutor’s Office grew the center by diverting people charged with misdemeanor crimes within the City of Poulsbo into treatment, resulting in their criminal cases being dismissed upon completion. By making these diversion agreements with the Prosecutor’s Office, people in our community experiencing addiction can get the help they need and, ultimately, the opportunity to thrive. Click here to learn more.
Chad knows members of local law enforcement well and wants to give them the ability to exercise their discretion. They know when someone needs to be arrested and when they need a second chance. In Poulsbo, Chad’s office created a pre-arrest diversion program, giving police officers the option of referring people to the North Kitsap Recovery Resource Center instead of an arrest. If the person engages in treatment, they will not be charged with a crime and, if they fail to seek treatment within 48 hours, their case will be referred to the Prosecutor’s Office for expedited criminal charging. Click here to learn more.
Chad’s office now has a Human Trafficking and Exploitation Task Force Coordinator who organizes Kitsap County’s response to human trafficking. Since human trafficking is a hidden crime and victims are rarely able to come forward, it is important for law enforcement to be trained in how to identify victims of human trafficking, effectively investigate these crimes, and provide victims with needed services. This coordinator works in the Prosecutor’s Office, but coordinates with the Kitsap County Human Trafficking Task Force and law enforcement agencies across our region. This position also helped create the Kitsap THRIVE Court (Teaching, Healing, Resilience, Independence, Voice, and Empowerment), which offers trafficking victims charged with crimes access to mental health treatment, chemical dependency treatment, and safe housing.
Chad’s office partnered with Kitsap Superior Court and the Center for Children and Youth Justice to create Washington State’s first Girls Court in juvenile court. This therapeutic court model provides holistic support services to young women, giving them the opportunity to move towards a successful future. Click here to learn more.
Chad’s office partnered with the Port Gamble S’klallam Tribe and Kitsap County Jail to expand the Tribe’s Welcome Home Program to non-native inmates. This program provides comprehensive pre- and post-release resources to those leaving jail, in order to reduce recidivism. Click here to learn more.
Keeping our community safe
Chad’s goal is to keep our community safe from crime. That means everybody in our community, including undocumented immigrants. In 2025, along with Kitsap County Sheriff John Gese, Chad held in-person meetings with immigrants to talk about the role of local prosecutors and police in immigration enforcement. Everyone, regardless of immigration status, should feel safe talking with police and prosecutors, and helping keep violent criminals off our streets.
In 2024, three members of the Bandidos Motorcycle Gang were sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole. This was one of the largest and most complicated criminal investigations in Kitsap County in decades. After a 6-year investigation, Chad’s team battled through a 5-month trial, resulting in aggravated murder convictions for each defendant. Click here to learn more.
Protecting our tax dollars
Chad’s office created a civil litigation team of experienced criminal trial attorneys in order to defend lawsuits against Kitsap County. While other counties have had to settle these lawsuits, Kitsap County has taken them to trial and won. The creation of this new team has lowered the potential civil liability for Kitsap County and reduced the impact that frivolous settlements have on the county budget.
Optimizing efficiency
Chad’s team has moved the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s into the 21st century. Without using any county general fund dollars, Chad’s office has updated office technology and is now paperless. Deputy prosecutors can access case files from tablets in court, and can provide discovery electronically through an online portal. These improvements allow the Prosecutor’s Office to make faster and more informed decisions on cases. Moving forward, these advancements will also allow Chad’s team to create a public data dashboard for real time information about the number and types of cases filed and pending in Kitsap County courts.
Eliminating case backlogs
Many counties across the State of Washington are having trouble filling prosecutor positions. The Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office has been one of the first offices around the state to attract new attorneys and fill all of its prosecutor positions. While other counties are experiencing case backlogs, Kitsap has eliminated those backlogs and can promptly review every case referred to them by law enforcement.
Committing to equity
Addressing racial inequities in the criminal justice system is crucial. Chad is addressing inequities in his office with implicit bias training for all of its attorneys. The Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office is one of the only prosecutor’s offices in the State of Washington that provides and requires this training.
Improving response to traffic crimes
Some of the most tragic cases are traffic-related deaths. In order to have a consistent and thorough approach to traffic crimes such as vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, Chad’s office created a program with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office called Kitsap Interagency Traffic Team (KITT). This program has a Senior Deputy Prosecutor who works closely with local traffic investigators by offering training and assisting in preparing cases for charging. Click here to learn more.
