Family Council
The Department of Corrections (DOC) recognizes the benefits when inmate's maintain family relationships during incarceration and supervision and acknowledges the many barriers that make maintaining these relationships difficult. In an effort to address these barriers, the Department established and maintains family councils.
About Family Councils
Family councils advise, collaborate, problem solve, and partner with the Department and the community to:
- Improve communications with the Department,
- Create opportunities to strengthen family and community connections,
- Improve quality of life for those incarcerated,
- Promote successful reentry,
- Provide family input on related policies and operational memorandums, and
- Address local and statewide issues/concerns that affect a broad range of those incarcerated and their families
Family is broadly defined to include immediate, extended, and elected family members, such as romantic partners, friends, neighbors, and clergy. Department employees and council members work together to bring awareness to the family councils to encourage participation. (Participation is strictly voluntary.)
Local Family Councils
Each prison facility maintains a Local Family Council (LFC). Family council meetings provide opportunity for family members to ask questions, get information, and share their perspective of the facility. All approved visitors may attend a family council meeting. See the LFC Representatives with questions.
In addition to family members, meetings are generally attended by the facility Superintendent or Associate Superintendent, Visiting Program staff representative, Family Services Program staff representative, and others as needed. At most facilities participants can attend in person or over the phone by calling in on a toll free number.
Scheduled Meetings, Agendas & Minutes
The LFC Facility Secretary and Family Secretary member officers will each take minutes during the meeting, and then will work together to finalize a single draft of official minutes using DOC 03-513 Family Council Meeting Minutes (ms word document).
Up to two years meeting's agendas and minutes will be posted for each LFC. See the LFC Representatives with questions.
See the Statewide Family Council Calendar (pdf) and Local Family Council Calendar (pdf) for all meeting dates.
Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC) Local Family Council
Cedar Creek Corrections Center (CCCC) Local Family Council
Clallam Bay Corrections Center (CBCC) Local Family Council
Coyote Ridge Corrections Center (CRCC) Local Family Council
Larch Corrections Center (LCC) Local Family Council
Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW) Local Family Council
Monroe Correctional Complex (MCC) Local Family Council
Olympic Corrections Center (OCC) Local Family Council
Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC) Local Family Council
Washington Corrections Center (WCC) Local Family Council
Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) Local Family Council
Washington State Penitentiary (WSP) Local Family Council
COVID-19 Informational Calls
The department felt it necessary and appropriate to inform families regarding ongoing updates to facility operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each correctional facility in outbreak status (pdf) has regularly scheduled informational calls providing information from those who are in the facility working through the COVID-19 pandemic response. Minutes from these calls are available on the facility-specific local family council webpages. See the COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions for more information about informational calls.
Participants
Family members who want to be on a facility's Local Family Council must be an approved visitor at that facility and agree to demonstrate commitment, integrity, honesty, good judgment, cooperation, professionalism, respect, courtesy, and work within department rules, regulations and policies.
Statewide Family Council
The Department maintains a Statewide Family Council (SFC) comprised of one elected representative from each Local Family Council (LFC), along with the Statewide Program Manager. Any family member who is approved to visit an inmate housed in a Department facility may attend an SFC meeting as a participant. See the list of SFC Representatives.
Meeting Details
Location
See most recent meeting agenda (pdf)for virtual meeting and call-in information.
Meeting Schedule & Materials
See the Statewide Family Council Calendar (pdf) for all statewide and local council meeting dates.