Reentry into the Community | Washington State Department of Corrections

Though most individuals who are incarcerated will return to their communities, successful transitions are difficult. The likelihood of successful transition can be improved with utilization of reentry programs and practices. The Department is committed to being reentry-focused and providing resources for individuals currently in and leaving the system, to assist in safe and successful transition to the community.

Building Safe and Strong Communities through Successful Reentry

Though most of the individuals who are incarcerated will return to their communities, successful transitions are difficult. Data show that many of the individuals who are released from confinement will recidivate and return to prison. The result of the high rates of recidivism are reduced public safety due to the new crimes being committed, increased costs and poor long-term outcomes for the individuals who are released. The likelihood of successful transition can be improved, however, with the utilization of reentry programs and practices. Reentry programs are designed to assist individuals who are releasing from incarceration to successfully transition back into the community.

With the goal of improving public safety, Governor Inslee signed Executive Order 16-05 on April 26, 2016, during National Reentry Week. Executive Order 24-03 (Superseding Executive Order 16-05), Building Safe and Strong Communities through Successful Reentry (pdf), directs specific state agencies to take action to address known barriers to successful reentry.

On April 19, 2017, the Governor's Office released the first Executive Order 16-05 Report (pdf) detailing the progress made in achieving the directives specified for each agency.