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Organization

The Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) is made up of dedicated professionals who work hard to improve public safety. Employees work in a variety of specialties and programs to administer a comprehensive system of corrections for convicted law violators in the state of Washington (RCW.72.09.010).

See the list below for more information about the organization delegated to accomplish certain function or duties necessary to operating the department.

Office of the Secretary

The Secretary manages the Department and is responsible for the administration of adult correctional programs. The Secretary may employ persons to aid in performing the functions and duties of the Department, and also delegate any of his or her functions or duties to Department employees (RCW.72.09.050).

Budget, Strategy and Technology Administration

The Budget, Strategy and Technology Administration oversees the following operational areas:

Executive Policy & External Relations Office

Executive Policy is responsible for reviewing, monitoring, and tracking legislative proposals that are crafted and considered by the Washington State Legislature. Further responsibilities include liaison work with the elected member of the state legislature as well as staff, and leading the department’s efforts to encourage positive interaction with the community as the agency strives to promote public safety, community protection, and public understanding. Closely aligned with the Tribal Relations program and serves to enhance the department’s relationship with the native communities.

Budget Office

The Budget Office develops and coordinates the department’s operating and capital budgets and is the central agency contact and resource for budget information. The Budget staff conducts analyses regarding financial, caseload, and workload impacts that new policies, projects, legislation, and other administrative changes will have on the department’s operations and expenditures.

Office of Strategy & Innovation

Where innovative initiatives are conceived, developed, and coordinated within the department as well as those that require coordination with other internal and external partner agencies. This think tank without walls will bring together staff from all parts of the agency to design, think through and plan for implementation of key initiatives in the department. This unit is also responsible for administering the development of strategic objectives and performance measures for each major activity in the department's budget. The unit is also responsible for continuous self-assessment activities and ensuring accountability to strategic objectives and Results Washington public performance measures.

Research & Data Analytics

The Department of Corrections is committed to improving public safety by facilitating transparency through data driven decisions using data analytics, operational business intelligence and research.

Chief Medical Officer

The science of reentry is clear; community-based services such as housing, healthcare, care management, mental health and substance use treatment, as well as education and employment, are needed to reduce the likelihood of returning to prison. To successfully reduce recidivism, we must improve access to these fundamental services, not only in our facilities, but also in the community. The Chief Medical Officer is positioned to work more effectively with other human service agency medical directors to help direct resources for those in our community supervision program and reentry.

Communications Office

The Communications Office is responsible for supporting the department's transparency by ensuring the agency shares accurate, clear, and consistent information with the public and staff.

Employee and Business Support Services Administration

The Employee and Business Support Services Administration oversees the following operational areas:

Business Services

Business Services is responsible to administer the agency’s financial systems to ensure accurate financial reporting and adherence to federal, state, and legislative intent. This unit is responsible for mission-critical “back-office” support functions related to all financial accounting transactions, accurate state and federal annual financial reporting, contracts, accounts payable/receivable, payroll, local funds accounting, incarcerated individual trust fund management, purchasing, warehousing, receiving and product delivery, and Agency financial reporting for DOC at prison facilities, reentry centers and throughout all operational divisions. In collaboration with the Budget Office Business Services administers accounting and financial reporting systems to ensure DOC funds are spent appropriately and that financial opportunities are maximized.

Human Resources

The Department is committed to ensure service delivery supports employee needs. Human Resources (HR) has oversight for the performance development process, leave programs; Human Resource Management System (HRMS); position identification and management; manages the grievance, disciplinary and home assignment processes; internal discrimination complaints, reasonable accommodation; policy development and implementation. HR oversees the Training and Development Unit (TDU) and the delivery of CORE and other training programs. HR also provides staff psychologists and occupational health and wellness services to employees.

Information Governance

The Department has a process to respond to requests for the disclosure of public records per RCW 42.56 Public Records Act and will ensure that the release of records is consistent with state and federal laws and regulations.

Office of Executive Excellence

The Office of Executive Excellence is responsible to determine and manage the agency's efforts to establish appropriate frameworks of standards, processes, and procedures intended to engage the entire Department around removing barriers to successfully achieve and deliver exceptional services and executive excellence. By gaining the commitment of executives and employees to identify, understand, and apply positive changes in information systems, organizational structures, learning systems, communication paths, and overall work processes, the Department becomes more effective and efficient in carrying out its mission.

Policy Program

The purpose of Department policies is to promote professionalism, efficiency, and consistency to achieve the purpose and philosophy of the Department. The Policy Office supports the Department by providing clear, concise, and understandable Department policies and forms. The Policy Office is responsible for coordinating Department policy and form creation and updates, conducting research and analysis of statute and other Department policies for consistency and compliance, and assisting internal and external stakeholders with support and requests for information/clarification of policy content.

Risk Mitigation

The Office of Risk Management works with DOC’s division leaders to identify, evaluate, and treat the Department’s most serious risks. The office administers the agency risk register, the critical incident review policy, and the corrective-action-plan database. The office manages tort claims and civil lawsuits in partnership with the Department of Enterprise Services and the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.

Safety Program

The Department is committed to providing a safe environment for employees, contract staff, volunteers, incarcerated individuals, and visitors, and to comply with Washington Industrial Safety & Health Act rules.

Talent Acquisition

The Department is committed to increasing the recruitment, selection, and promotion of diverse, qualified, and competent employees based on merit and identified competencies. The Department uses a recruitment and selection model, including centralized and decentralized processes, with uniform selection protocols that are consistent, focuses, and legally defensible.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Respect (EDIR)

This office supports the implementation of various Executive Orders (EO) and Directives, including the Governor’s EO 22-04, Implementing the Washington State Pro-Equity Anti-Racism Plan & Playbook (pdf). The office also leads the Diversity Advisory Councils; supports the creation of Employee Resource Groups; represents the Department on various interagency diversity, equity, and inclusion groups; and advises executive management and staff at all levels, across divisions on EDIR-related matters.

Indeterminate Sentence Review Board (ISRB)

The ISRB is a quasi-judicial board within the department that retains independent decision making, and has jurisdiction over three types of cases. The Board reviews cases, conducts hearings, oversees supervision violation hearings, and provides services to victims of inmates under the Board's jurisdiction.

Office of Indian Policy

The Department of Corrections makes a reasonable effort to collaborate with Indian tribes in the development of policies, agreements, and program implementation that directly affects tribes.

Office of the Deputy Secretary

The Deputy Secretary oversees the following operational areas.

Community Corrections Division

Per RCW.72.09.060, the Department's organization shall include a division for probation, parole, community restitution, and other nonincarcerative sanctions.

The Community Corrections Division supervises an active caseload of people in communities across Washington state. The division is also responsible for administering the Community Justice Centers (CJCs), Graduated Reentry (GRE), Parenting Sentencing Alternative (PSA), Victim Services programs, Interstate Compact (pdf), End of Sentence Review Committee, cost of supervision and legal financial obligations.

Health Services Division

It is the intent of the legislature that inmates receive such basic health medical services as may be mandated by the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the state of Washington, and that the department may contract directly with any persons, firms, agencies, or corporations qualified to provide such services (RCW.72.10).

The Health Services Division is responsible for enacting this legislation by providing basic primary care to individuals incarcerated in department prison facilities. Limited services are also provided to individuals on active community supervision and in reentry. Health services include medical, dental, and mental health care, as provided by on-site health care staff and licensed and/or certified health care providers and counselors. As part of a behavioral health continuum of care, sex offense treatment and substance abuse treatment is also provided.

Prisons Divisions

Per RCW.72.09.060, the department's organization shall include a division for prisons and other custodial institutions.

The Department has two separate prisons divisions, a men's prisons division and a women's prisons division. Combined, the two divisions oversee the state's eleven correctional prison facilities which house adult male and female incarcerated individuals. There are nine men's prison facilities and two women's prison facilities. The divisions are also responsible for security and emergency management, investigations, statewide transportation and extradition, and the visitation program.

Reentry & Correctional Industries Division

Per RCW 72.09.270, the department shall develop an individual reentry plan for every individual under its jurisdiction by:

  • using standardized and comprehensive tools to identify the criminogenic risks, programmatic needs, and educational and vocational skill levels;
  • connecting the individual with existing services and resources that meet those needs; and,
  • establishing mechanisms for sharing information from individual reentry plans to those involved with the incarcerated individual's treatment, programming, and reentry.

The department has established the Reentry Division to administer a comprehensive reentry design and holistic approach to successfully reintegrate people back into the community.

The Reentry Division is responsible for providing transition resources such as case management, including classification and cognitive interventions, educational and vocational programming, Reentry Housing Assistance Program, reentry centers, Strength in Families program, and Correctional Industries, per RCW 72.09.060.

Per legislative action, Correctional Industries assumed responsibility of all McNeil Island maintenance in 2013, including marine operations, wastewater treatment, water treatment, road maintenance, and other general island maintenance. The industries program equips incarcerated participants with job skills while providing the minimum maintenance and preservation necessary for the state to remain in compliance with the federal deed for McNeil Island.