Inmates anxious over plan to close prison units across Washington state
The Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) is looking to cut $80 million out of its budget over the next two years.
Since March of 2020, the DOC has seen a 54% decrease in prison admissions. There are currently roughly 4,000 empty prison beds in all of Washington’s prisons. The DOC said this is due to intervention, diversion, treatment and re-entry programs.
The DOC announced some units will be closed and consolidated at several prisons across the state to cut down on spending, including Clallam Bay Corrections Center, Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women, Monroe Correctional Complex, Washington State Penitentiary and more.
The closures will be done in two phases: Phase One closures are “low impact,” meaning little change for staff and inmates. Phase Two closures are considered “high impact,” and some inmates and staff would potentially be transferred to other facilities in the state.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/inmates-anxious-over-plan-to-close-prison-units-across-washington-state/ar-AAMFEro