WASHINGTON (DDN) – Although Washington State is known for having excellent prisons because it is home to the US capital, this does not imply that all of the state’s prisons are highly regarded. In actuality, some of Washington’s prisons are worse than those in other states, and many people condemn the state’s prison policies, claiming it benefits “no one.”
The Washington Department of Corrections is in charge of running more than 12 prisons, including two facilities for women and ten for men.
Airway Heights Corrections Center:
Situated in Spokane County, Washington, the Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC) is a state prison. This minimum- to medium-class jail opened its doors in 1992. Some of Washington state’s most violent offenders, such as Evan Savoie, Nick McDonald, and Gerald Friend, have resided there over the years.
Inmates’ terrible medication conditions during the COVID-19-led pandemic brought the penitentiary to the attention of the media. Nearly 792 prisoners had the virus during the peak of the pandemic and claimed that the authorities were not giving them with the proper medical care they had been promised. In reality, COVID-19 spread like wildfire as a result of their carelessness.
When things were out of control, the authorities imposed a very strict lockdown on the prisoners, preventing them from leaving their cells for most of the time and restricting or stopping their access to facilities. The already difficult circumstances for prisoners were exacerbated by this.
Coyote Ridge Corrections Center:
Found in Connell, Washington, the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center is a medium-security jail. The Washington State Department of Corrections runs the prison, which has the largest capacity at 2,468 inmates.
The prison’s inside conditions are among the worst one can imagine, despite the fact that it has a LEED Gold Certification for creating an environmentally friendly campus. The prison has been overcrowded since 2011, and throughout that time, no steps have been taken to address or modify the overcrowding issue. Some problems bring relatively little value, even if they are resolved.
Although hardly much about the jail is known to the general public, in 2020 a former nurse made the decision to speak up and disclose some of the most appalling and cruel conditions that the inmates endure.
Monroe Correctional Complex:
The second-largest jail in the state of Washington is the Monroe Correctional Complex, or MCC. Nevertheless, because of its overcrowding, the jail is sometimes regarded as the most inhabited prison in Washington. After undergoing renovations in 2018, the jail, which opened in 1910, was able to house more than 2,400 convicts.
The modernization of the prison has not helped the sanitary conditions, which are outdated, with blocked toilets and convicts forced to clean them themselves. This is what makes the prison such a horrible place to be.
In addition, the jail is overcrowded and overburdened in terms of its ability to run and oversee. These factors have made jail a very challenging environment for any prisoner to serve.
Olympic Corrections Center:
With a maximum capacity of 381 inmates, this minimal security jail is comparatively shorter and simpler to run. But the reverse is also true.
There are still issues even though the authorities closely monitor the facility and its residents. In particular, the issue of drug overdose is widespread and frequently thought to be ignored by the authorities.
Stafford Creek Corrections Center:
Designed to house convicts in the minimal, medium, and high security classes, this facility opened in 2000 and has a capacity of 1,936.
Health and hygiene are the main issues at this facility. Not only during COVID-19, but also prior to and following it. The convicts’ quality of life has been worse due to significant breakouts in the jail. Inmates blame the administration for failing to provide secure and sufficient facilities, and despite the prison being fined $60,000 for poor management, not much has changed.
A bill that would restrict the use of solitary confinement has also been introduced. Even yet, ex-offenders have stated that not much has changed and that guards continue to use it as a place of escape when an inmate is causing trouble or they suspect someone else may.
Washington State Penitentiary:
Located in Walla Walla, Washington, Washington State Penitentiary is an all-male prison that comes in second last on our list. Established in 1886, the jail is a minimal to close maximum security facility. The jail was the site of the most state executions until 2018, when it was abolished.
Additionally, the institution has a history of providing some of the harshest circumstances possible for prisoners. Prisoners frequently lament the inadequate facilities for their health and hygiene as well as the pervasive worries that they will be the next victim of gangs and other influential inmates who target them for “fun.”
Despite repeated complaints, not much has been done to accommodate the convicts, who endure severe summer temperatures due to the prison’s outdated building complex and inadequate cooling system.
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