News Archive
2023
August
(Danielle Jimenez, Communications Office)
Concerts for Hope, a nonprofit led by musician and composer Eric Genuis, embarked on a transformative journey to uplift the spirits of those residing within Washington's prisons. This awe-inspiring initiative sought to bring the power of music and…
July
Event attendees and keynote speakers, including SSC Interim President Dr. Jean Hernandez (center right) and Dept. of Corrections Administrator Susie Leavell (center left) were presented with tribal blankets during a traditional blanket blessing ceremony performed…
Megan Pirie, Director of Person-Centered Service(Photo courtesy of Communications Office)
TUMWATER – Department of Corrections' (DOC) Secretary Cheryl Strange has appointed Megan Pirie as the agency's Director of Person-Centered Services. Pirie is the second…
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Suicide Prevention Plans
Recommendations from Lindsay Hayes
Challenges Unique to Prisons
Common Myths about Suicide
DOC's Commitments to Suicide Prevention Moving Forward
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is one of the leading causes of…
07/06/2023 | News Spotlight: Best Bed Project
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Women's Prison Division Proposal
Units Opening
Larch Corrections Center Closure
Larch Closure Frequently Asked Questions
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The Best Bed Project is dedicated to ensuring every incarcerated individual in our care and custody receives the housing assignment…
07/05/2023 | Crafting Confidence: Incarcerated Individual Designed Conference Table Empowers Rehabilitation
(Danielle Jimenez, Communications Office)
Correctional Industries (CI) is transforming the lives of incarcerated individuals through rehabilitation programs that foster skill-building, confidence, and a path to a brighter future. A testament to this transformative journey is embodied in a…
June
06/30/2023 | News Spotlight: Humanity in Corrections - Treating Complex Mental Health Disorders in Prisons
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Footsteps echo loudly off concrete walls. A loud, angry voice can be heard one moment, soft whispers the next. A corrections officer checks in through the scratched glass of a narrow cell window, to ask how an individual is doing today. He may respond in an angry outburst,…
06/28/2023 | Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom While Incarcerated
Incarcerated individuals writing notes on a cutout of Sandy Williams at Airway Heights Corrections Center's Juneteenth Celebration (Photo courtesy of Lukas D'Ambrosio, DOC Communications)
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Each year on June 19, Americans have the opportunity…
TUMWATER – The Department of Corrections (DOC) is taking steps to address fewer incarcerated individuals reoffending and returning to DOC custody while also committing to reduce the use of solitary confinement in its prisons by 90% over the next five years.
To address a declining incarcerated…
06/22/2023 | Incarcerated Students Triumph
Michas Taitano holding his Outstanding Student Award at his graduation from Centralia College. (Photo courtesy of Brendan Baptiste, Communications Office)
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This month, a wave of celebration is sweeping across correctional facilities in…
06/15/2023 | PRESS RELEASE: South Seattle College and DOC Continue to Prepare Justice-Involved Students for a Brighter Future
SEATTLE – South Seattle College will host its spring graduation ceremony this weekend for Justice Involved Solutions (JIS) students. The program serves current and formerly incarcerated individuals who face significant barriers to education and employment. The Justice Involved Solutions program…
06/14/2023 | The IF Project: The Question…
(Brendan Baptiste, Communications Office)
“If there was something someone could have said or done to change the path that led you here, what would it have been?”
This question was asked to women at the Washington Correctional Center for Women. Their responses turned into a writing workshop…