The Washington State Department of Corrections (WADOC) is a department of the government of the state of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
. WADOC is responsible for administering adult
corrections
In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies, and involving the punishment, treatment, and su ...
programs operated by the State of Washington. This includes state
correctional institutions
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correcti ...
and programs for people supervised in the community.
[About DOC]
" Washington State Department of Corrections. Retrieved on March 3, 2011. Its headquarters are in
Tumwater, Washington
Tumwater is a town in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 25,350 at the 2020 census. It is situated near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound; it also borders the state ca ...
.
History
The modern Washington Department of Corrections is a relatively young state agency. Agency oversight of correctional institutions in Washington State went through several transitions during the 20th century before the WADOC's creation in 1981.
Prior to the 1970s, state correctional facilities were managed by the Washington Department of Institutions.
governor
Daniel J. Evans
Daniel Jackson Evans (born October 16, 1925) is an American politician who served as the List of governors of Washington, 16th governor of Washington from 1965 to 1977, and as United States Senator, United States senator representing Washington S ...
consolidated the Department of Institutions, Department of Public Assistance & Vocational Rehabilitation, and other related departments into the
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is Washington's social services department. The agency has its headquarters in Office Building Two (OB-2) in Olympia, the state capital. Annually, 2.2 million children, families, vulnerable adul ...
(DSHS) in the 1970s.
[The Arc: WA State]
Retrieved on September 25, 2016.
On July 1, 1981, the
Washington State Legislature
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senat ...
transferred the administration of adult correctional institutions from the
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Adult Corrections (DSHS) to the newly created Washington State Department of Corrections as part of the 1981 Corrections Reform Act.
[Corrections Reform Act of 1981 c 136 § 3., RCW 72.09.030]
Retrieved on September 25, 2016.
Organizational structure
The Washington Department of Corrections organizational structure includes six major divisions:
*
Women’s Prisons
*Men’s Prisons
*Community Corrections
*Administrative Operations
*Health Services
*Reentry
Each division has an assistant secretary who oversees the division's operations.
The secretary of corrections is the executive head of the department. The secretary is appointed by the governor with the consent of the state Senate.
Department facilities
Prisons
The department currently operates 12 adult prisons, of which 10 are male institutions and two are female institutions.
[Prisons - Locations]
" Washington State Department of Corrections. Retrieved on March 3, 2011. The department confines over 12,000 people in these facilities, with each varying in size and mission across the state.
[Learn More About Prisons]
" Washington State Department of Corrections. Retrieved on March 3, 2011.
Work releases
The department currently has 12
work release
In prison systems, work release programs allow a prisoner who is sufficiently trusted or can be sufficiently monitored to go outside the prison and work at a place of employment, returning to prison when their shift is complete.
Some work release ...
facilities. All but two of these facilities are operated by contractors, who manage the daily safety and security and have oversight of the facilities full-time (24 hours a day, 7 days per week). Department staff are located on site to assist in supervision, monitoring, and case management of those under supervision, as well as monitoring of the contracts.
[Work Release - Locations]
" Washington State Department of Corrections. Retrieved on March 3, 2011.
Formerly incarcerated people housed in work release facilities have progressed from full confinement to partial confinement, and are required to seek, secure, and maintain employment in the community, as well as pay for their room and board. This model is designed to provide some foundation for employment and housing when the formerly incarcerated are released to communities.
However, a 2015
Washington Supreme Court
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the ...
Minority and Justice Commission symposium revealed that reentry resources for formerly incarcerated people in Washington State are still severely underfunded and disconnected.
[REENTRY: DO WE REALLY CARE ABOUT PEOPLE SUCCEEDING AFTER PRISON? May 28, 2015.]
Retrieved on September 25, 2016.
Field offices
Community Supervision occurs at 86 varied locations in the community to include: field offices, community justice centers,
Community Oriented Policing
Community policing, or community-oriented policing (COP), is a strategy of policing that focuses on developing relationships with community members. It is a philosophy of full-service policing that is highly personal, where an officer patrols ...
(COP) Shops and outstations. Activities of supervised people in the community are monitored, which includes home visits, by a
Community Corrections Officer to ensure compliance with court,
or known as the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, which was the Washington State Board of Prison Terms and Paroles (ISRB), only those individuals who have been deemed rehabilitated by the ISRB are placed on Parole and department conditions of supervision, such as Community Supervision and/or Community Custody.
Death row
In 2014, Governor
Jay Inslee
Jay Robert Inslee (; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician, lawyer, and economist who has served as the 23rd governor of Washington since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representat ...
announced a moratorium on carrying out the death penalty in Washington State.
[Gov. Jay Inslee announces capital punishment moratorium]
Retrieved on September 25, 2016. According to Inslee, "Equal justice under the law is the state's primary responsibility. And in death penalty cases, I'm not convinced equal justice is being served. The use of the death penalty in this state is unequally applied, sometimes dependent on the budget of the county where the crime occurred."
The moratorium means that if a death penalty case comes to the governor's desk for action, he will issue a reprieve.
However, this action does not commute the sentences of those on death row or issue any pardons.
The majority of Washington's death penalty sentences are overturned and those convicted of capital offenses are rarely executed, indicating questionable sentencing in many cases.
Since 1981, the year Washington State's current capital laws were put in place, 32 defendants have been sentenced to die. Of those, 18 have had their sentences converted to life in prison and one was set free.
Prior to Inslee's moratorium, Washington's capital punishment law required that capital punishment imposed by the state's courts be carried out at the
Washington State Penitentiary
Washington State Penitentiary (also called the Walla Walla State Penitentiary) is a Washington State Department of Corrections men's prison located in Walla Walla, Washington. With an operating capacity of 2,200, it is the second largest priso ...
in
Walla Walla Walla Walla can refer to:
* Walla Walla people, a Native American tribe after which the county and city of Walla Walla, Washington, are named
* Place of many rocks in the Australian Aboriginal Wiradjuri language, the origin of the name of the town ...
. Procedures for conducting executions are supervised by the Penitentiary Superintendent.
[Capital Punishment in Washington State]
" Washington State Department of Corrections. Retrieved on December 19, 2016. Washington utilizes two methods of execution:
lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate, paralytic, and potassium solution) for the express purpose of causing rapid death. The main application for this procedure is capital puni ...
and
hanging
Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...
. Lethal injection is used unless the inmate under sentence of death chooses hanging as the preferred execution method.
Within 10 days of a trial court entering a judgment and sentence imposing the death penalty, male defendants under sentence of death are transferred to the Penitentiary, where they remain in a segregation unit
ntensive Management Unit North (IMU-N) at the prisonpending appeals and until a death warrant is issued setting the date for the execution. Female defendants under sentence of death are housed at the
Washington Corrections Center for Women
Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW, originally the Purdy Treatment Center) is a Washington State Department of Corrections women's prison located in Gig Harbor, Washington. With an operating capacity of 740, it is the largest women's p ...
in
Gig Harbor
Gig Harbor is the name of both a bay on Puget Sound and a city on its shore in Pierce County, Washington,. The population was 12,029 at the 2020 census.
Gig Harbor is one of several cities and towns that claim to be "the gateway to the Olympic ...
before being transferred to the Penitentiary no later than 72 hours prior to a scheduled execution, also housed in IMU North, although the execution chamber is located in Unit 6.
78 persons have been executed in Washington since 1904, the most recent being
Cal Coburn Brown
''Uttecht v. Brown'', 551 U.S. 1 (2007), was a case dealing with jury selection in capital cases in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that appeals courts must defer to a trial judge’s decision on whether a potential juror would ...
, in 2010.
Correctional Industries
The Washington Department of Corrections revenue-generating, industry job training, and factory food production branch is Washington State Correctional Industries. It is a member of the
National Correctional Industries Association
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
.
Correctional Industries began centralizing food production at the
Airway Heights Correctional Center
The respiratory tract is the subdivision of the respiratory system involved with the process of respiration in mammals. The respiratory tract is lined with respiratory epithelium as respiratory mucosa.
Air is breathed in through the nose to t ...
in 1995.
[Washington Prison Food Factory Cooks Up Controversy]
" Prison Legal News. Retrieved on September 23, 2016. In the years since, freshly cooked food for incarcerated people in Washington prisons has gradually and in large part been replaced by factory processed, prepackaged food.
Private contracts
Private prisons
On May 21, 2015, The GEO Group announced the signing of a contract with the Washington Department of Corrections for the out-of-state housing of up to 1,000 prisoners at the company-owned North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, Michigan, with a contract term of five years inclusive of renewal option periods.
Food vendors
Under the Washington state Food Umbrella Contract, WA DOC's Correctional Industries procures products from
Food Services of America
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ing ...
,
Liberty Distributing
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
,
Medosweet Farms, Spokane Produce,
Terry Dairy's
Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine).
People
Male
* Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Ame ...
,
Triple "B" Corporations
Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a "treble":
Sports
* Triple (baseball), a three-base hit
* A basketball three-point field goal
* A figure skating jump with three rotations
* In bowling terms, three strikes in a row
* In ...
, and
Unisource
Unisource Worldwide, Inc. is a subsidiary of Veritiv and is a distributor of printing paper, packaging equipment and supplies, and facility maintenance equipment and supplies. It also provides logistics services to other companies through its truc ...
. WA DOC also contracts with Evergreen Vending, Coca-Cola, and other private food vendors for its facility vending machines.
Communications
WA DOC contracts with
JPay
JPay is a privately held information technology and financial services provider focused on serving the United States prison system. With headquarters in Miramar, Florida, the company contracts with state, county, and federal prisons and jails ...
, a private company that charges the incarcerated and their families for electronic mail, photo-sharing, money transfer, and video visiting services. Phone services for the incarcerated and their families are through WA DOC's contract with
Global Tel Link
Global Tel Link (GTL), formerly known as Global Telcoin, Inc. and Global Tel*Link Corporation, is a Reston, Virginia–based telecommunications company, founded in 1989, that provides Inmate Calling Service (ICS) through "integrated information t ...
.
Secretary of Corrections
The secretary of corrections in Washington State is a cabinet level position appointed by the state governor. This position differs from the historical director of the Washington Department of Institutions in its educational requirements. In the 1950s and 1960s, Washington law mandated that directors of the Department of Institutions were required to hold graduate degrees.
["Conte, William R. ''Is Prison Reform Possible?: The Washington State Experience in the Sixties''. Unique Press, 1990."] The modern Washington Department of Corrections has no such requirements for its secretary of corrections.
Amos Reed
Amos Reed
Amos or AMOS may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Amos Records, an independent record label established in Los Angeles, California, in 1968
* Amos (band), an American Christian rock band
* ''Amos'' (album), an album by Michael Ray
* ''Amos' ...
, appointed by Governor
John Spellman
John Dennis Spellman (December 29, 1926 – January 16, 2018) was an American politician who served as the 18th governor of Washington from 1981 to 1985 and as the first King County Executive from 1969 to 1981.
Spellman was elected governor in ...
, served as the first Washington state secretary of corrections from 1981 to 1986.
Prior to his position as secretary, Reed served as an administrator in the
Oregon Department of Corrections
The Oregon Department of Corrections is the agency of the U.S. state of Oregon charged with managing a system of 12 state prisons since its creation by the state legislature in 1987. In addition to having custody of offenders sentenced to prison ...
from 1969 to 1975.
Chase Riveland
Chase Riveland was appointed Secretary of Corrections by Governor
Booth Gardner
William Booth Gardner (August 21, 1936 – March 15, 2013) was an American politician who served as the 19th governor of Washington from 1985 to 1993. He also served as the ambassador of the GATT. A member of the Democratic Party, Gardner previ ...
in 1986.
["Locke Picks New Prisons Chief." Kitsap Sun 27 Feb. 1997: n. pag. Print.] He retired in 1997.
Riveland drew criticism from Republican lawmakers who felt he was not harsh enough on incarcerated people.
However, his cautions against politically-driven policies have proven prescient in the mass incarceration decades that followed his time as secretary.
[Conversation with Chase Riveland, Head of Washington Corrections when the tough-on-crime wave hit. ''Washblog'']
Retrieved on September 24, 2016. By 2008, the number of people incarcerated in Washington had more than tripled since the time Riveland first came to WADOC.
Joseph D. Lehman
Joe Lehman
Joe or JOE may refer to:
Arts
Film and television
* Joe (1970 film), ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle
* Joe (2013 film), ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage
* Joe (TV series), ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from ...
was a graduate of St. Martin's College and Pacific Lutheran University. He spent 21 years as a probation and parole officer and deputy secretary in Washington's prison system. Lehman was appointed secretary of Corrections by Governor
Gary Locke
Gary Faye Locke (born January 21, 1950) is an American politician and diplomat serving as the interim president of Bellevue College, the largest of the institutions that make up the Washington Community and Technical Colleges system. Locke serv ...
in 1997, and served until 2005.
Prior to serving as WADOC secretary, Lehman oversaw Pennsylvania's largest prison expansion in state history and then worked for the Maine correctional system.
In 1994, Lehman won the Association of State Correctional Administrators Francke Award. Lehman's starting salary as WADOC secretary was $93,659
He oversaw WADOC at a time when the department had a budget of $765 million, with 12,825 incarcerated people and 6,300 employees]
Harold Clarke
Harold Clarke, appointed by Governor
Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire (; née O'Grady; born March 24, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 22nd governor of Washington from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again ...
, served as Secretary of Corrections from 2005 until his resignation in late 2007.
Prior to his appointment, he directed the Nebraska Department of Corrections, where he had climbed through the ranks for over twenty years. He resigned as WADOC secretary amid controversy over probation supervision to take a position as commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections.
Eldon Vail
Eldon Vail returned from retirement after 31 years with WADOC to serve as Acting Secretary of Corrections until his formal appointment as Secretary by Governor
Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire (; née O'Grady; born March 24, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 22nd governor of Washington from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again ...
in 2008.
Vail resigned amid controversy over an affair with a subordinate in 2011.
Bernard Warner
Bernard Warner was appointed by Governor
Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire (; née O'Grady; born March 24, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 22nd governor of Washington from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again ...
as Secretary of Corrections in 2011. Warner resigned in 2015 to take a position at a private Salt Lake City corrections industry.
Dan Pacholke
Governor
Jay Inslee
Jay Robert Inslee (; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician, lawyer, and economist who has served as the 23rd governor of Washington since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representat ...
appointed Dan Pacholke Secretary of Corrections in 2015.
Pacholke began his career in WADOC in 1982 as a correctional officer at McNeil Island Corrections Center.
He worked his way through the ranks until he was appointed secretary. Pacholke resigned after a short tenure amid controversy over a WADOC computer glitch that caused the somewhat early release of approximately 3,000 incarcerated people over more than a decade.
Some formerly incarcerated people who had established new lives upon early release were reincarcerated in response to public and political outcry over the early releases.
The early release scandal became an expression of more complex political relationships in anticipation of the 2016 Washington State election season. In a resignation email to Senator
Mike Padden
Michael John Padden (born November 13, 1946) is a lawyer and politician from Spokane Valley, Washington. He is a member of the Washington State Senate representing Washington's 4th Legislative District.
Padden is well known as a "faithless elect ...
—one of the most conservative members of the Washington State Senate's Law and Justice Committee—Pacholke wrote, "I notify you now of my resignation. I hope it helps meet your need for blood. I hope it gives you fodder for the press and fulfills your political needs so you can let this agency, our agency, heal."
[Email from Dan Pacholke to Senator Mike Padden 2016]
. Retrieved September 25, 2016. Former secretary of corrections Bernie Warner told the media he did not know about the computer glitch until notified by Governor
Jay Inslee
Jay Robert Inslee (; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician, lawyer, and economist who has served as the 23rd governor of Washington since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representat ...
's general counsel.
[Sullivan, Joseph. "Former Corrections boss says he didn’t know of early prisoner releases". ''Seattle Times''. January 15, 2016]
Retrieved on September 25, 2016. However, Pacholke told the media that Warner's assistant secretary knew of the mistaken early release of prisoners as early as 2012.
At least two people were killed in homicides linked to prisoners who had mistakenly been released early, and families of the deceased in each of those cases went on to file wrongful death lawsuits against the agency. One of those lawsuits resulted in a $3.25 million settlement paid out by the DOC.
Since leaving WADOC, Pacholke has become the co-director at Segregation Solutions.
Retrieved on September 25, 2016. He co-authored a report with Sandy Felkey Mullins on segregation practices for the
U.S. Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
Bureau of Justice Assistance titled "More Than Emptying Beds: A Systems Approach to Segregation Reform".
["More Than Emptying Beds: A Systems Approach to Segregation Reform".]
" Retrieved on September 24, 2016.
Richard Morgan
Richard "Dick" Morgan returned from retirement after more than three decades of employment with WA DOC to be appointed by Governor
Jay Inslee
Jay Robert Inslee (; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician, lawyer, and economist who has served as the 23rd governor of Washington since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representat ...
as acting secretary, effective March 14, 2016.
He served in the role of secretary until January 12, 2017. Morgan had previously served as a member of the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board and of the Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.
Jody Becker-Green
Former
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is Washington's social services department. The agency has its headquarters in Office Building Two (OB-2) in Olympia, the state capital. Annually, 2.2 million children, families, vulnerable adul ...
employee
Jody Becker-Green Jody may refer to:
*Jody (given name), a list of people with the given name
*Jody (singer), French singer, real name Julie Erikssen
* "Jody" (song), 1986 single by Jermaine Stewart
*"Jody", a 1982 song by America from ''View from the Ground''
*"Jod ...
was appointed by Governor
Jay Inslee
Jay Robert Inslee (; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician, lawyer, and economist who has served as the 23rd governor of Washington since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representat ...
as acting secretary from January 10, 2017 to April 25, 2017, becoming the first woman to serve in this role.
Stephen Sinclair
Stephen Sinclair was appointed WA DOC secretary by Governor
Jay Inslee
Jay Robert Inslee (; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician, lawyer, and economist who has served as the 23rd governor of Washington since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representat ...
on April 25, 2017.
He began his career at the agency as a correctional officer and gained progressively greater responsibilities as investigator, sergeant, associate superintendent, superintendent and assistant secretary.
As superintendent of the Washington State Penitentiary, Sinclair created the Sustainable Practices Lab. In addition to his role as secretary, he was the DOC co-director of the
Sustainability in Prisons Project
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...
at
The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College is a public liberal arts college in Olympia, Washington. Founded in 1967, it offers a non-traditional undergraduate curriculum in which students have the option to design their own study towards a degree or follow a p ...
.
Cheryl Strange
On April 29, 2021, Washington State Governor
Jay Inslee
Jay Robert Inslee (; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician, lawyer, and economist who has served as the 23rd governor of Washington since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representat ...
appointed Cheryl Strange as the Washington DOC's first permanent female secretary.
[Inslee names Cheryl Strange new Department of Corrections secretary](_blank)
April 29, 2021. Accessed April 21, 2022. Prior to her appointment, Strange was Secretary of the
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is Washington's social services department. The agency has its headquarters in Office Building Two (OB-2) in Olympia, the state capital. Annually, 2.2 million children, families, vulnerable adul ...
.
She had previously served as the
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of
Western State Hospital.
Staff
Paramilitary culture
WADOC is a paramilitary organization and values respect for chain of command and seniority. The department recruits much of its correctional staff from
Joint Base Lewis–McChord
Joint Base Lewis–McChord (JBLM) is a U.S. military installation home to I Corps and 62nd Airlift Wing located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Headquarters, Joint Base Lewis–Mc ...
career fairs.
[2015 Washington State Transition Fair.]
Retrieved on September 24, 2016.
Labor union
Non-management positions in the Washington Department of Corrections are negotiated by the
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), also known as the Teamsters Union, is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of The Team Drivers International Union and The Teamsters National Union, the u ...
Local 117 labor union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
.
Honor guard
WADOC Honor Guard protocols are governed by WADOC Policy 870.440.
[Dress Uniform and Honor Guard.]
" Retrieved on September 24, 2016. Individual WADOC correctional facilities are not required to maintain an Honor Guard.
As of 2013, only five of WADOC's 12 facilities maintained an active Honor Guard.
Facility superintendents and Chiefs of Emergency Operation are responsible for selecting Honor Guard members and approving Honor Guard participation in local events.
Line of duty deaths
According to the
Officer Down Memorial Page
The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc. (ODMP) is a non-profit organization that maintains a website listing American law enforcement officers, prison officers and police dogs who have died in the line of duty.
History
The ODMP was established i ...
Web site, since the inception of what is currently the Washington State Department of Corrections, six employees have been killed in the line of duty.
The most well-known line of duty death in recent WADOC history was that of
Jayme Biendl in 2011. This incident has been called "the Washington Department of Corrections
9/11
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
", as it resulted in dramatic changes to WADOC security protocols and programs for incarcerated people. An annual Behind the Badge memorial run is held in honor of Biendl's service.
Key issues
In 2012, WADOC correctional officers advocated for improved uniforms in keeping with the standards of uniforms of other Washington law enforcement agencies.
["Corrections officers push lawmakers for better uniforms" ''Everett Herald''. February 13, 2012.]
" Retrieved on September 24, 2016. Prior to 2012, correctional officer uniforms were made by incarcerated people in industry job positions.
This provided 100 jobs for incarcerated people, as well as eight supervisory correctional officer positions.
Officer Carl Beatty was a public spokesman for a shift to professional uniforms made by outside manufacturers with significant savings to the State of Washington in cost, with the result that House Bill 2346 passed during the 2012 Washington State Regular Legislative Session.
[HB 2346]
" Retrieved on September 24, 2016. This bill removed the requirement that correctional officer uniforms come from Correctional Industries.
WA DOC Policy 870.400 lists detailed requirements for staff uniforms.
[DOC 870.400]
" Retrieved on September 24, 2016.
Ombudsman
In 2007, the Washington Religious Society of Friends (
Quakers
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...
) spearheaded legislative efforts to create an independent ombudsman position that would provide an alternative avenue of mediation between WADOC, WADOC staff, incarcerated people, and family members of the incarcerated.
[SB 5295.]
SB 5295." Retrieved on September 24, 2016. The resulting bill, SB 5295—sponsored by state Senators
Jim Kastama
James Matthew Kastama (born October 5, 1959) was a Senator in the Washington State Senate. A Democrat, Kastama represented the 25th legislative district. He chaired the Senate Economic Development, Trade and Innovation Committee, and participated ...
,
Dan Swecker
Daniel Peter Swecker (February 28, 1947 – September 1, 2021) was an American farmer, military officer, and politician.
Biography
He served in the Washington State Senate from the 20th district from 1995 to 2013. He was a Republican Party (Unit ...
,
Karen Fraser
Karen Riese Fraser (born September 12, 1944) is an American politician who served as a Democratic Washington State Senator for 24 years, representing the 22nd Legislative District, which includes Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and northern Thursto ...
,
Jeanne Kohl-Welles
Jeanne Elizabeth Pearl Kohl-Welles (née Jean Elizabeth Pearl Kohl; October 19, 1942) is an American politician and academic. Since January 2016 she has served as a member of the King County Council from the 4th district. She previously served as ...
,
Chris Marr,
Debbie Regala
Debbie E. Regala (born April 27, 1945) is an American politician who served as a member of the Washington State Legislature from 1995 to 2013.
Early life and education
Regala was born in Tacoma, Washington. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree ...
,
Marilyn Rasmussen
Marilyn J. Rasmussen (born March 10, 1939) is an American farmer and politician who served as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 2nd district from 1993 to 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as a ...
, and
Rosemary McAuliffe
Rosemary Ann McAuliffe (née Belmont; born August 1, 1940) is a Democratic politician, elected as the Washington State Senator for the 1st District in 1992, beginning her term in 1993. Preceding her election to the State Senate, McAuliffe serv ...
—was not successful. In the years since, many other community groups have added their support for these legislative efforts. Annual attempts to pass an independent ombudsman bill began in 2013 with SB 5177, sponsored by Senators
Mike Carrell
Michael J. Carrell (April 10, 1944 – May 29, 2013) was an American politician and educator.
Born in Tacoma, Washington, Carrell graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a degree in education. He was a teacher in middle school, high scho ...
and
Steve Conway.
[SB 5177]
" Retrieved on September 24, 2016. In 2014, Senators Conway,
Jeannie Darneille,
Steve O'Ban
Steven Thomas O'Ban (born July 12, 1961) is an American politician and attorney who served as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 28th district from 2013 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as ...
,
Jeanne Kohl-Welles
Jeanne Elizabeth Pearl Kohl-Welles (née Jean Elizabeth Pearl Kohl; October 19, 1942) is an American politician and academic. Since January 2016 she has served as a member of the King County Council from the 4th district. She previously served as ...
, and
Annette Cleveland
Annette M. Cleveland (née Forbes, born 1962) is an American politician of the Democratic Party. She is a member of the Washington State Senate from the 49th legislative district. She was first elected to that office in November 2012 for a term b ...
sponsored SB 6399.
[SB 6399]
" Retrieved on September 24, 2016. In 2015, Senators
Jeannie Darneille,
Rosemary McAuliffe
Rosemary Ann McAuliffe (née Belmont; born August 1, 1940) is a Democratic politician, elected as the Washington State Senator for the 1st District in 1992, beginning her term in 1993. Preceding her election to the State Senate, McAuliffe serv ...
,
Jeanne Kohl-Welles
Jeanne Elizabeth Pearl Kohl-Welles (née Jean Elizabeth Pearl Kohl; October 19, 1942) is an American politician and academic. Since January 2016 she has served as a member of the King County Council from the 4th district. She previously served as ...
,
Steve O'Ban
Steven Thomas O'Ban (born July 12, 1961) is an American politician and attorney who served as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 28th district from 2013 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as ...
,
Maralyn Chase,
Bob Hasegawa
Robert Alan Hasegawa (born September 22, 1952) is an American labor leader and politician serving as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 11th Legislative District since January 2013. Hasegawa is a lifelong resident of Seatt ...
,
Karen Keiser
Karen Lynne Keiser (born September 29, 1947) is an American journalist and politician of the Democratic Party. She represents the 33rd Legislative District in the Washington State Senate, which contains parts of Burien, Normandy Park, SeaTac, ...
,
Kirk Pearson, Steve Conway, and
David Frockt
David S. Frockt (born July 14, 1969) is an American politician and attorney who served as a member of the Washington State Senate for the 46th legislative district, which includes North Seattle, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore.
Early life and ed ...
sponsored SB 5505, with Representatives
Luis Moscoso,
Roger Goodman
Roger Elliot Goodman (born 1961) is an American lawyer and politician serving as a Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 45th district since 2007. Goodman won re-election in 2012 against Republican Joel ...
,
Eric Pettigrew,
Sherry Appleton,
Tina Orwall
Tina Louise Orwall (born April 3, 1965) is an American politician serving as the Speaker pro tempore of the Washington House of Representatives since 2021, a position she previously held from 2017 to 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, she is ...
,
Timm Ormsby
Timothy Sean Ormsby (born June 17, 1959) is an American politician. He is a Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives, and represents Washington's third district since 2003.
Ormsby went to North Central High School in Spokane ...
, and
Laurie Jinkins
Laurie A. Jinkins (born August 1964) is an American politician, attorney, and public health official from Tacoma, Washington who serves as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 27th district. A Democrat, she has served as Sp ...
sponsoring companion bill HB 2005.
[SB 5505]
" Retrieved on September 24, 2016.[HB 2005]
" Retrieved on September 25, 2016.
In the 2016 legislative session, Senators
Mark Miloscia
Mark Anthony Miloscia (born September 13, 1958) is an American politician and former public school teacher who served in the Washington State Senate from 2015 to 2019. A Democrat for more than twenty years, in 2014 he switched to the Republican P ...
,
Christine Rolfes
Christine Margaret Rolfes (née Nasser, born March 25, 1967). is an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the Washington State Senator for the 23rd District between 2011 and 2023. The 23rd District includes Bainbridge Island, ...
,
Kirk Pearson,
Steve O'Ban
Steven Thomas O'Ban (born July 12, 1961) is an American politician and attorney who served as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 28th district from 2013 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as ...
, Steve Conway, and
Rosemary McAuliffe
Rosemary Ann McAuliffe (née Belmont; born August 1, 1940) is a Democratic politician, elected as the Washington State Senator for the 1st District in 1992, beginning her term in 1993. Preceding her election to the State Senate, McAuliffe serv ...
sponsored unsuccessful SB 6154, with Representatives
Luis Moscoso,
Eric Pettigrew,
Sherry Appleton,
Tina Orwall
Tina Louise Orwall (born April 3, 1965) is an American politician serving as the Speaker pro tempore of the Washington House of Representatives since 2021, a position she previously held from 2017 to 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, she is ...
,
David Sawyer
David James Sawyer (born 1983) is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He was a member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 29th district from 2013 to 2019.
On February 21, 2018, ''The Seattle Times
''The S ...
,
Cindy Ryu
Cindy Ryu (born 1949) is an American politician serving as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 32nd district. She was the first Korean-American woman to be a mayor in the United States. She is the Chair of the Community a ...
,
Derek Stanford,
Gerry Pollet
Gerald Martin Pollet (born 1958) is a lawyer and a Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 46th District. He lost the race for that seat in 2008 to Scott White, but was appointed to fill the seat December ...
,
Teri Hickel,
Steve Bergquist
Steven Anton Bergquist (born September 7, 1979) is an American politician and educator serving as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 11th Legislative District.
Education
Bergquist earned a Bachelor of Arts degree fro ...
, and
Sharon Tomiko Santos
Sharon Tomiko Santos (née Miyake, born July 5, 1961) is an American politician serving as a member of the Washington House of Representatives for the 37th legislative district.
Early life and education
Santos was born in San Francisco, Califo ...
sponsoring companion HB 2817.
[SB 6154.]
" Retrieved on September 24, 2016.[HB 2817.]
" Retrieved on September 24, 2016.
In the 2017-2018 legislative session an ombudsman bill, HB 1889, passed both chambers of the legislature.
WADOC opposed these legislative efforts. In 2016, WADOC created its own internal ombudsman position. Carlos Lugo, who had previously worked on a special WADOC project concerning visitation access for Latino incarcerated people, was hired as the first WADOC ombudsman.
" Retrieved on September 24, 2016.
Contraband
The WADOC Intelligence and Investigations Unit asked the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
to become involved in the investigation of employee contraband smuggling at WADOC's Monroe Correctional Complex smuggling in December 2015.
["Monroe Prison Guard Charged with Extortion and Attempted Drug Trafficking"]
" Department of Justice. Retrieved on October 2, 2016. A correctional officer was arrested on September 29, 2016.
FBI agents determined the officer was accepting bribes of up to $1,000 to smuggle contraband into the prison.
In August 2016 a 23-year-old incarcerated man at Monroe Correctional Complex died from a drug overdose, causing renewed concerns statewide about contraband entering WADOC prisons.
["Police investigating death of inmate at Monroe prison"]
" ''Everett Herald''. August 2, 2016. Retrieved on October 2, 2016.
Sustainability in Prisons Project
At Cedar Creek Corrections Center in 2003, the Washington State Department of Corrections and
The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College is a public liberal arts college in Olympia, Washington. Founded in 1967, it offers a non-traditional undergraduate curriculum in which students have the option to design their own study towards a degree or follow a p ...
founded the Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP).
[Sustainability in Prisons Project History.]
" Retrieved on September 27, 2016. Dan Pacholke was Cedar Creek Correctional Center's superintendent at the time, and started composting and water catchment programs to save money and create meaningful work for the men incarcerated at the minimum security facility.
Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, a member of the faculty at Evergreen, asked for incarcerated people to join her in a study to grow native mosses, and Cedar Creek welcomed her proposal.
From here, the partnership between Evergreen and WADOC strengthened and expanded. In the decade plus since, SPP has expanded to several other WADOC prisons. Incarcerated people raise endangered species and carry out impressive composting operations using recycled construction materials.
Timeline of key events
*1981 - New Department of Corrections is created to oversee correctional institutions previously overseen by Department of Social and Health Services.
" Retrieved on September 23, 2016.
*1984 - Sentencing Review Act (SRA) overhauls state's criminal code.
*1995 - Correctional Industries centralized factory food production begins at
Airway Heights Correctional Center
The respiratory tract is the subdivision of the respiratory system involved with the process of respiration in mammals. The respiratory tract is lined with respiratory epithelium as respiratory mucosa.
Air is breathed in through the nose to t ...
.
*2000s - Incarcerated people are required to order food packages from a few select contract vendors instead of local grocery stores.
*2003 - DOC and Evergreen State College collaborate to found the Sustainability in Prisons Project
*2009 - Incarcerated people are required to wear uniforms instead of personal clothing.
*2011 - Line of duty death of Officer Jayme Biendl brings increased attention to security.
*2015 - State Senate passes SB 5650, establishing a medical subaccount exempt from WADOC deductions to incarcerated people's personal accounts.
[SB 5650]
" Retrieved on September 23, 2016.
*2016 - WADOC hires an internal ombudsman.
Secretary Dick Morgan publicly states that the WADOC will phase out the use of the word "offender".
["]
See also
*
List of law enforcement agencies in Washington List of law enforcement agencies in Washington may refer to:
* List of law enforcement agencies in Washington (state)
* List of law enforcement agencies in Washington, D.C.
This is a list of law enforcement agencies in the District of Columbia.
...
*
List of U.S. state prisons
This is a list of U.S. state prisons (2010) (not including federal prisons or county jails in the United States or prisons in U.S. territories):
* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida ...
*
List of United States state correction agencies
This is a list of corrections agencies in the states of the United States.
State adult prison agencies
* Alabama Department of Corrections
* Alaska Department of Corrections
* Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry
* Ark ...
References
External links
*
Washington State Correctional Industriesdoc.wa.gov
{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington State Department Of Corrections
State law enforcement agencies of Washington (state)
Corrections
In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies, and involving the punishment, treatment, and su ...
Lists of United States state prisons
State corrections departments of the United States
1981 establishments in Washington (state)
Government agencies established in 1981