Search Washington Public Records

How Are Inmate Records in Washington Created and Stored?

Inmate records in Washington state are created when someone is first arrested. Then every event that takes place in the inmate’s life is recorded, and the file is updated to provide a complete picture. The arresting officer fills out a RAP sheet containing basic demographic information like name, address, and phone number and then details about the crime. Once the inmate is sentenced to prison, the Washington State Department of Corrections takes over and stores, updates and maintains all inmate records. A Washington inmate locator feature is available on their website, and they keep all inmate records in a consolidated database online that is searchable so the public can run a WA inmate search at any time 24/7.

What Does Washington’s Prison System Look Like?

WA state prison system is pretty straightforward, with a few different types of facilities. There are state and federal prisons, juvenile detention and also dozens of local jails. Each type of facility has a specific purpose. All the state-run facilities are overseen and managed by the WA State Department of Corrections. The WA prison system consists of:

Types of Jails and Prisons in Washington

WA has twelve state prisons that hold felons who broke state laws. Each facility has a specific purpose and range in custody levels from minimum-security to maximum-security. Two of them are specifically designed for women. All state-run prison facilities are overseen by the Washington State Department of Corrections and Secretary, Stephen Sinclair. The juvenile detention facilities house youth offenders and are managed by the State Department of Social and Health Services and the Office of Juvenile Rehabilitation. Federal prisons are managed and operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and local jails are run by the local police stations.

How Many People are Locked up in Washington?

Washington’s prison system holds 19,104 residents in various kinds of correctional facilities, from which 18,915 residents are held in state prisons, 11 in federal prisons, and 178 in local jails.

Washington State Prisons

The state of WA has twelve state prisons. Each one houses a different demographic. Two are designed specifically for women. Each has different custody levels, and all of them are overseen and managed by the State Department of Corrections and Secretary, Stephen Sinclair. The list of state prisons in WA are:

• Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC).
• Cedar Creek Corrections Center (CCCC).
• Clallam Bay Corrections Center (CBCC).
• Coyote Ridge Corrections Center (CRCC).
• Larch Corrections Center (LCC).
• Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW).
• Monroe Correctional Complex (MCC).
• Olympic Corrections Center (OCC).
• Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC).
• WA Corrections Center (WCC).
• WA Corrections Center for Women (WCCW).
• WA State Penitentiary (WSP).

Washington Federal Prisons

The federal government maintains two federal prisons in WA state. These facilities hold federal prisoners who have broken federal laws within state boundaries. All federal prisons are owned and operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FOB). The list of federal prison facilities in WA are:

• SeaTac FDC - An administrative security federal detention center holding 666 male and female offenders.
• Seattle RRM - residential reentry management field office.

Washington County Jails

WA state has 39 counties and within each, dozens of local police jails. Each jail is operated and managed entirely by local law enforcement. The list of jails throughout the state totals hundreds. Although there is no master list online to pull from, a quick online search will yield results for many of the local county jails where recently arrested suspects and pretrial detainees are held.

Washington Juvenile Detention Centers

The state has eleven total juvenile detention centers that make up the juvenile justice program. Some of these are secure residential facilities, and some are community-based facilities. The entire program is overseen and managed by the WA State Department of Social and Health Services Office of Juvenile Rehabilitation. These programs and facilities serve high-risk youth offenders. The juvenile detention centers in WA include:

Secure Residential Facilities

• Echo Glen Children’s Center.
• Green Hill School.
• Naselle Youth Camp.

Community Facilities

• Canyon View Community Facility.
• Oakridge Community Facility.
• Parke Creek Community Facility.
• Ridgeview Community Facility.
• Sunrise Community Facility.
• Touchstone Community Facility.
• Twin Rivers Community Facility.
• Woodinville Community Facility in Kirkland.

{PLACEHOLDER_JUVENSearchILE_LINKS}

Why are People Incarcerated in Washington?

Roughly, 37,000 people are incarcerated in the state of WA. Of that total, more than half (20,000) are in state prison, about 12,000 are in local jails, 3,000 are in federal facilities, 920 are in juvenile detention, 380 reside in Indian Country facilities, and about 630 are in mental institutions receiving treatment. The most popular reason that someone is in prison in WA is assault. The next top reason is sex crimes (28%), then property crimes (16.8%) and then murder (13.1%).

Washington’s Incarceration Rate and Statistics

Washington’s incarceration rate for year-end 2016 under state prison or local jail jurisdiction per 100,000 population was 259, which is lower than an average incarceration rate by 42%. The number of Washington prisoners at the year-end of 2016 was 19,104, from which 9% were female prisoners, whereas the number of male prisoners was 17,446 in 2016.

Where Do Washington Inmates Go When They are Released?

WA has a lot of facilities where inmates are held; however, none of them are specifically for transitioning back into society. The state does have progressive reentry programs but no facilities to support them. Therefore, inmates released from state prisons will simply return home to family and friends.

How Does Parole Work in Washington?

Parole is a privilege given to inmates who have served a portion of their sentence when the parole board feels they are no longer a danger to society. These parolees may be released with a set of terms like checking in with a parole officer once a week. If they violate any of the terms of their parole, they will return to prison for the remainder of his or her sentence.

Parole Population

How Does Someone Get Probation in Washington?

Some judges may order probation rather than prison when the offender is low-risk. Probation is a supervisory program where the probationer must be monitored and reviewed periodically. The offender must follow a set of court-ordered rules, or they will go to prison.

Probation Statistics