About
The Washington legislature has established a comprehensive system of corrections for convicted law violators within the state of Washington to accomplish a primary objective of ensuring public safety. The system is designed and managed to provide the maximum feasible safety for the persons and property of the general public, the staff, and the incarcerated individuals (RCW 72.09.010).
The Department of Corrections (DOC) has 10 prison facilities with custody levels ranging from minimum to maximum security.
Prison Population by Age (as of 9/30/2026)
| Age Category | Number | Percent of Total |
|---|---|---|
| less than 22 | 308 | 2.2% |
| 22-25 | 719 | 5.2% |
| 26-30 | 1,514 | 10.9% |
| 31-35 | 2,176 | 15.7% |
| 36-40 | 2,239 | 16.2% |
| 41-45 | 2,079 | 15% |
| 46-50 | 1,555 | 11.2% |
| 51-55 | 1,033 | 7.5% |
| 56-60 | 826 | 6% |
| 61-65 | 625 | 4.5% |
| 66-70 | 410 | 3% |
| greater than 70 | 348 | 2.5% |
| Total | 13,832 |
* Numbers include all incarcerated individual locations, such as prison, reentry and out-of-state.